4 killed in Dominica as Tropical Storm Erika hits island

ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) - Streets across Dominica turned into fast-flowing rivers that swept up cars as Tropical Storm Erika pummeled the eastern Caribbean island, unleashing landslides and killing at least four people.

The storm, which was forecast to near Florida as a hurricane on Monday, knocked out power and water supplies and had dumped 15 inches of rain on Dominica by early Thursday, according to the weather service in the nearby island of Antigua.

Police Superintendent Daniel Carbon said an elderly blind man and two children died following a mudslide in the southeast of the island. Another man was found dead near his home in the capital of Roseau after a mudslide, but the cause of death has not yet been determined, Carbon told the Associated Press.

Even though the eye had passed, heavy wind and rain were still buffeting the island known for its lush forests and steep terrain, and authorities had yet to do a full damage assessment.

"We're advising people to stay put," Carbon said, adding they have received reports of several injuries but that he had no details.

About 80 percent of the island was without electricity, and water supply was cut off, authorities said. Trees and lightpoles were strewn across streets as water rushed over parked cars and ripped the scaffolding off some buildings. The main airport was closed due to flooding, with water rushing over at least one small plane.

The main river that cuts through the capital overflowed its banks and surging water crashed into the principal bridge that leads into Roseau.

"The capital city is a wreck," policewoman Teesha Alfred said. "It is a sight to behold. It's a disaster."

Erika was centered about 160 miles west of Guadeloupe, and was moving west at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds that had slipped slightly to 45 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Erika was expected to move near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Thursday and be near or just north of the Dominican Republic today as it heads toward South Florida early next week. The storm was not expected to gain strength in the next two days.

Erika is now more likely to hit the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, said chief forecaster James Franklin at the National Hurricane Center.

"That would certainly not be good news for Hispaniola," he said. "They're very vulnerable to flooding. And even if Erika is a weak system, that could be very bad there."

Officials shuttered schools, government offices and businesses across the region and warned of flash flooding because of dry conditions caused by the worst drought to hit the Caribbean in recent years. Authorities warned power and water service might be temporarily cut off.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said the storm could bring badly needed rains to the parched U.S. territory.

"We're happy given the dry conditions, but it does highlight the need to be on alert," he said, adding that heavy downpours could lead to flash floods. He activated the National Guard as a precaution.

The heaviest rains were expected to hit Puerto Rico's eastern region, with the storm expected to pass about 30 miles north of the island overnight Thursday, said Odalys Martinez, with the National Weather Service in San Juan.

Dozens of flights were canceled in the region, and the U.S. Coast Guard closed all ports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Erika was projected to follow a path toward South Florida, but its impact was still unclear.