Published: August 28,2015
As Tropical Storm Erika inched closer to
Hispaniola, the small island nation of Dominica struggled to sift
through the destruction and loss caused by the storm's fury.
During
a televised address, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said at
least 20 people were killed, the Associated Press reported. Skerrit said
Erika set the nation's developmental progress back 20 years, as
hundreds of homes and multiple other structures were destroyed.
"I
give you my pledge that we shall not cease until contact is made with
every community and a full account is given of every single missing
person. I take this opportunity on behalf of my dear wife, Melissa, the
Cabinet of Ministers, the Government of Dominica and the Dominica Labour
Party to extend to the bereaved, our deepest and most sincere
condolences," Skerrit lamented.
The melancholic prime
minister vowed parliamentary representatives will meet with families who
lost loved ones to plan and complete funeral arrangements, and those
injured will receive the utmost care.
(BLOG: Tricky Forecast Ahead for Erika)
Among
those confirmed dead were a blind elderly man and two children in
southeastern Dominica, and another man was killed in the country's
capital of Roseau, the report said.
Earlier Friday,
Florida Gov. Rick Scott wasted no time urging residents to prepare,
declaring a state of emergency for all counties Friday morning.
The
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission worked with
multiple national and international agencies, including the United
Nations Development Programme and the United States Agency for
International Development, to ensure the best possible response to the
dire situation in Dominica, Dominica News Online reported.
In
the wake of Erika's devastating effects, Joshua Francis, parliamentary
representative for the Roseau South Constituency, called on the people
of the small island nation to come together in spite of losses, stating,
"Together, we must stand together, and together as a nation we will
overcome! It’s a very worrying, and sad moment for us; some of us have
lost our loved ones, some of us have been made homeless, and some of us
have had some kind of material loss. We are going to need as much help
as possible. However, we should not lose our resolve, resilience, faith,
and love for each other."
"There are still persons missing. The country's infrastructure has been devastated," says Dominica govt minister
About 20 others remain missing on
the tiny Lesser Antilles island that's home to about 72,000, and many
homes have been destroyed in the storm, the AP also reported.
"The situation is grim. It is dangerous," Ian Pinard, Dominica's communications minister, told the AP.
About
80 percent of the island was left without electricity, and the water
supply was cut off. Trees and light poles were strewn across streets,
and several buildings sustained damage, including torn off scaffolding.
AP also reports the main airport was closed because of flooding, with
water rushing over at least one small plane.
"The capital city is a wreck. It is a sight to behold. It's a disaster," policewoman Teesha Alfred told the AP about Roseau.
Social
media users posted images and video of a raging Roseau River Thursday
morning as several bands of heavy rain pounded the small island nation.
(WATCH: Erika May Help Puerto Rican Drought)
On
Thursday, 12.64 inches of rain fell in a 12-hour period from 2 a.m. EDT
to 2 p.m. at the Canefield Airport near Roseau, Dominica, according to
local storm reports.
The Associated Press reports that
governments in San Juan, Puerto Rico, have ordered schools, airports and
even casinos to close as they begin to prepare shelters.
Schools
and government offices in St. Maarten will be closed Thursday, and
officials asked casinos, restaurants and other businesses to close by
midnight on Wednesday. They warned that they may temporarily suspend
power and water service as the storm continues to approach.
Government
offices in the U.S. Virgin Islands will be closed and all airports in
the U.S. Virgin Islands will be closed until Friday, Gov. Kenneth Map
told the AP.
Boats docked at Shell
Beach Marina on Antigua's north coast have been removed from the water
since Saturday, with people not taking chances as Erika approaches,
marina employee Caroline Davy told the Associated Press.
Seaborne
Airlines and LIAT, based in Puerto Rico and Antigua respectively, have
canceled more than two dozen flights through Friday due to the storm.
Officials in Puerto Rico said they will suspend ferry transportation
between the main island and the sister islands of Culebra and Vieques on
Thursday.
Cruise line Carnival was forced to cancel
its St. Maarten and St. Kitts stops due to the storm. The itinerary has
been adjusted to have the ship spend two days in San Juan before
continuing to Grand Turk and the addition of Nassau.
Weather.com associate editors Ada Carr and Carolyn Williams also contributed to this report.
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