Tropical Storm Erika swept through the Caribbean last week, killing at least 20 people and leaving several small countries with millions of dollars in damage. The storm formed on August 24 and lasted five days, traveling through the Caribbean. Due to her intensity, Erika was immediately classified as a "tropical storm." Although the storm passed through a number of the Islands in the Caribbean, the small country of Dominica took the most devastating hit.

Tropical Storm Erika has impacted 10,000 to 20,000 people in Dominica, and the numbers are still rising. Dominica collected 12 inches of rain in less than 10 hours, resulting in severe mudslides responsible for knocking down homes, destroying fields of crops, and flooding at least one of the airports. The mudslides were also to blame for some of the deaths as well as the dozens of citizens that were separated from their loved ones in Dominica.

At the peak of the storm, winds reached speeds of 50 miles per hour. Authorities have been focusing on search and rescue throughout the area, and other countries have been sending resources and support via helicopter. Residents who are injured or have been left homeless by the storm are being airlifted and relocated to a safer area.

Interaction with higher terrain along Tropical Storm Erika’s path, including areas in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and eastern Cuba, have helped contribute to the eventual decline of Tropical Storm Erika. Although the storm remained scattered and disorganized as it made its way through the Caribbean Islands, it still produced a large amount of flooding and strong winds that impacted the citizens of Dominica as well as those of some of the surrounding countries.

Tropical Storm Erika dissipated shortly before reaching the Florida coast.