While forecasters are calling Tropical Storm Erika “a very disorganized storm” they are also predicting it could reach hurricane status and strike Florida as early as Sunday.
“I think we’ll have a better idea of where Erika is going and what she is capable of, within the next 24 to 48 hours,because today, Erika has struggled mightily to get its act together,” said FOX 35 News Orlando Meteorologist Brooks Tomlin. “It’s a very disorganized tropical storm right now.”
The storm is expected to dump anywhere from 2 to 8 inches of rain on the Leeward Islands as it continues its western trek. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will also be hit by the current path of the storm.
Florida officials are beginning to prepare for the storm’s possible arrival.
“This is the point where you should start planning whether you’re going to evacuate, where you’re going to go, how you’re going to communicate,” Kimberly Prosser, the director of Brevard County Emergency Management, told FoxNews.
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Ignacio is gaining strength and is also likely to turn into a hurricane. The storm is modeled to pass by Hawaii, although there is a small chance the storm will turn to strike the main island early next week.
Tropical Storm Danny, located far out over the Atlantic, is likely to become a hurricane.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) say the storm is maintaining winds of 50 m.p.h. and models are showing the storm strengthening into hurricane status within the next few days.
The storm’s track could take it into Puerto Rico. If the storm continues to strengthen, it could strike Cuba as early as Wednesday. The models say it’s too early to determine if the storm could impact the United States.
If the storm reaches hurricane status, it would be the first named storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season to reach that level.
The NHC said the storm is being driven west by a “subtropical ridge of high pressure” and that the conditions around the storm are beneficial to increasing strength.
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November 30th.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed that heavy rains in a remote desert area of California has washed away an elevated part of Interstate 10 including a highway.
The CHP told the Los Angeles Times that 30 feet of the eastbound highway “is washed away and bridge is gone.”
The highway, the most direct route between Los Angeles and Phoenix, averages more than 20,000 cars a day. Now the vehicles will have to travel hundreds of miles out of the way Interstate 8 or Interstate 40.
Forecasters say the storm was a foreshadowing of what could be striking California later this year with a strong El Nino season. Tropical Storm Dolores, which roared far off the Mexican and California coasts, allowed for muggy and rainy weather to reach an area decimated by crippling drought.
“Even though Dolores is a pretty good wake-up call for us, we should start preparing for late August or early September,” Stuart Seto, an National Weather Service specialist, said to the Los Angeles Times.
The storms that blew through Southern California brought flash flooding in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The storms brought dangerous lightning, hail and high surf to the region.
The storm was so rare for this time of the year that the Anaheim Angels baseball team had a game against the Boston Red Sox rained out…the first rainout for the team in 20 years and 1,609 consecutive home games.
Tropical Storm Bill weakened Wednesday to a tropical depression but is still bringing massive amounts of rain to south Texas.
“Rainfall will result in significant flooding across central and eastern Texas and into southern Oklahoma through Wednesday night,” AccuWeather meteorologist Chyna Glenn told USA Today.
However, Texas is not the only state bearing the brunt of Bill’s wrath.
Southern and eastern Oklahoma have reported more than a foot of rain including just over 13 inches reported at Newport, Oklahoma. Interstate 35 in southern Oklahoma was closed due to flooding and one exit had to be closed because the rain dislodged boulders which rolled into the roadway.
Multiple rivers including the Red River, Trinity River and Washita River are either at flood stage or are forecasted to be reaching flood stage by the weekend. The National Weather Service said the flooding from the Washita River in Oklahoma could be “catastrophic.”
The storm is moving eastward into Missouri and Arkansas, bringing heavy rain and the possibility of flooding in those states.
Texas officials are rushing to prepare for Tropical Storm Bill which is on a path to soak parts of the state already saturated from previous rains and flooding.
The storm made landfall around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday near Port O’Connor.
Tropical Storm Wind warnings along with Flood warnings have been placed in effect through Wednesday for many parts of eastern and southern Texas. Schools throughout the Houston area along with all summer programs were cancelled because of the impending rains and threat of flooding.
“While high winds and even tornadoes are possible, already wet grounds mean that even a moderate amount of rain will likely cause street flooding,” warned Harris County Emergency Management. “Bayous and rivers could go out of banks quickly, creating a serious threat to life and property.”
Forecasters expect the storm to bring as much as a foot of radio to parts of Texas. Most areas in Texas and Oklahoma in the path of the storm could see as much as 8 inches. The storm is expected to turn east and bring around four inches to Arkansas, Louisiana and parts of Missouri.
Texas residents are being cautious with this storm.
“Everyone’s a little gun-shy,” Lisa Kiefer told KXAN. “Three weeks ago, after the flood, helicopters were in town for days, and the Red Cross trucks … you just couldn’t get away from the fact the community was so damaged.”
The Philippines are still on alert for the weakening once-Super Typhoon Maysak. Its course is still set to make landfall on Luzon Island this weekend. Maysak will either be a tropical storm or on the verge of becoming one by the time it hits early Saturday.
This storm was at its peak intensity with 160 mph Category 5 Hurricane Winds on April 1st but is weakening slowly with strong wind shear as it makes its way to the Philippines. Power Outages and flooding are still a concern with this storm through Sunday evening.
Once exiting the Philippines, Typhoon Maysak which by then should only be a tropical storm system is not expected to strengthen as it enters the China Sea.
Tropical Storm Jangmi slammed into the Philippines leaving at least 31 people dead and seven people missing.
Jangmi made landfall with winds of 40 miles per hour and gusts of 50 miles per hour. Heavy rain fell on the southern part of the nation where the flooding took out bridges and highways.
Officials say most of the deaths took place on Tuesday when the rain created landslides and flash flooding.
Officials in Catbalogan City said that a dozen people were killed when a landslide buried two vans and six houses in the eastern part of the city. They said that voices are being heard in the vans and that rescue efforts are progressing.
A regional civil defense official told Fox News that 10 members of a family died when their creekside house was washed into the river by flash flooding.
Hawaii could be facing another hurricane.
Tropical Storm Ana is moving toward Hawaii after increasing in strength from a tropical depression to tropical storm Monday. Forecasters say the storm will likely reach Category 1 hurricane status before it makes landfall on the Big Island Saturday morning.
“Traditionally, tropical systems struggle to maintain strength as they approach Hawaii from the southeast,” said AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Evan Duffey. “However, abnormally warm water south of Hawaii could support an organized tropical system surviving into Hawaii.”
Even if the storm falls back to tropical storm status, it will still bring flooding, high surf, strong winds and heavy rain to the entire state.
The storm will be the second time this year Hawaii is hit with a major tropical storm. Hurricane Iselle struck the islands in August, marking the first time since record keeping began in 1950 that a storm of hurricane intensity struck the islands.
Tropical Storm Gonzalo is strengthening in the Caribbean and is on a collision course with Puerto Rico.
Gonzalo is packing sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and was moving west around 11 miles per hour. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center say Gonzalo could reach hurricane strength some time during the day Tuesday.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands along with Puerto Rico.
The NHC expects at least 8 inches of rain possible for areas within the path of the storm bringing heavy flooding and landslides. Some isolated areas could receive as much as 12 inches of rain.
Puerto Rico is home to 3.6 million people.