Hurricane Erika was a weak
hurricane that struck extreme northeastern Mexico near the
Texas-
Tamaulipas border in mid-August of the
2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Initially, Erika was not designated a hurricane by the
National Hurricane Center as initial data suggested winds of 70 mph (115 km/h) at peak intensity; only after later analysis was it revised to
Category 1 intensity. While Erika's precursor disturbance was moving across
Florida, it dropped heavy rainfall. In south Texas, Erika produced moderate winds of 50 to 60 mph (80 to 95 km/h) along with light rain, causing minor and isolated wind damage in the state. In northeastern Mexico, Erika produced moderate rainfall, resulting in mudslides and flooding, and two people were killed when their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters.
Photograph: NASA, MODIS/LANCE, HDF File Data processed by Supportstorm