Weak Tropical Storm Erika could move into Gulf, threaten Florida west

forecast path shifted farther west on Friday (Aug. 28), and the storm is now predicted to cut across Cuba on Saturday and Sunday before heading north over the Florida Keys to a possible landfall near Fort Myers by 2 p.m. Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. By 2 p.m. Tuesday, Erika is forecast to have weakened into a depression as it moves north over St. Petersburg and Tampa. Erika is expected to still be a depression at 2 p.m. Wednesday, when it will be over the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia. Tropical-Storm-Erika-Friday-satellite.jpgTropical Storm Erika over Puerto Rico and part of the island of Hispanola on Friday afternoon (Aug. 28).NASA GOES-Floater satellite But forecasters also held out hope that Erika could be knocked back into a tropical wave or even just a trough of low pressure over the next day as it crosses the mountainous island of Hispanola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal held a meeting with the state's Unified Command Group to discuss preparation efforts with cabinet officials and emergency response personnel, just in case the storm moved towards Louisiana. "At this time, we want to ensure that Louisianians are actively monitoring Tropical Storm Erika should the storm continue to move west," Jindal said in a news release. "We are encouraging everyone to get a game plan now in the event that weather conditions change. "As with every storm, we always hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Please have an evacuation plan in place, plenty of water, non-perishable food items, hygiene supplies, sufficient clothing, and any prescription medications you or your family may need in the event of the storm," Jindal said. At 4 p.m. Friday, Erika was about 95 miles west southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as it moved west at 21 mph. "The forecast intensity has been significantly changed to show a much weaker cyclone, with Erika now forecast to become a tropical depression in about 24 hours, followed by some slight intensification at 48 and 72 hours," said Senior Hurricane Specialist Jack Beven in a 4 p.m. Friday forecast discussion message. He said that forecast was a compromise between two scenarios: the increasing likelihood that Erika could degenerate into a tropical wave as it moves over the mountainous island of Hispanola, as supported by several models; or the possibility that wind shear that has been ripping the storm's clouds apart could subside after a day and a half. Beven said forecasters "are not quite prepared to rule out tropical storm impacts in Florida." "Although this would normally be an appropriate time for a tropical storm watch for portions of southern Florida, following typical timelines, we have elected to wait until we see what's left of Erika after it passes Hispanola," he said. "There is a significant chance that no watches or warnings for Florida will be required. In the short term, Erika remains a very heavy rainfall threat to the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Friday evening and overnight, he said. "These rains could produce flash floods and mud slides," Beven said. Tropical storm warnings were in effect in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, southeastern and central Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Islands. Tropical storm watches were in effect for the northwestern Bahamas and much of Cuba. Saya membuat video ini dengan Pembuat Rangkai Slide YouTube (   / upload  )