&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Erika_2009-09-01_1700Z.jpg) Tropical Storm Erika east of the Lesser Antilles on September 1 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 1, 2009 |
| Remnant low | September 3 |
| Dissipated | September 4, 2009 |
| Tropical storm | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 50 mph (85 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 1004 mbar (hPa); 29.65 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | None reported |
| Damage | $35,000 (2009 USD) |
| Areas affected | Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Tropical Storm Erika was a short-lived tropical cyclone that brought minor impacts to the Lesser Antilles. The fifth named storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, Erika originated out of a tropical wave on September 1 near the Lesser Antilles. Although it was a disorganized system, it was immediately declared a tropical storm, rather than a tropical depression. Later that day, the system reached its peak intensity with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg). Increased wind shear caused the storm to weaken shortly thereafter, with Erika barely maintaining tropical storm-status by September 2. Later that day, the storm passed over the island of Guadeloupe and entered the Caribbean Sea. On September 3, Erika weakened to a tropical depression as the low pressure center became fully displaced from convective activity. Later that day, the system degenerated into a remnant low before dissipating near Puerto Rico on September 4.
Due to the storm's low intensity, Erika produced little damage in the Lesser Antilles during its passage through the islands. Guadeloupe recorded up to 12.1 in (310 mm) of rain, leading to flooding and some landslides; 12,000 people on the island were left without power. Several other islands recorded moderate rainfall form the system before the tropical storm degenerated into a remnant low. In Puerto Rico, the cyclone's remnants produced heavy rainfall, peaking at 7.58 in (193 mm), that triggered flooding in several regions.