Disorganized Erika dissipates as a tropical cyclone

Update, 9 a.m. Saturday

From the National Hurricane Center: "Erika has dissipated as a tropical cyclone. NHC will issue a Special Advisory shortly. Tropical storm watches/warnings being discontinued."

Update, 5 a.m. Saturday:

At 5 a.m., Tropical Storm Erika was about 75 miles south of Guantanamo, Cuba, moving west-northwest at 20 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Erika had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

The hurricane center notes that Erika is "poorly organized," and will encounter significant shear and interaction with land, which should result in the storm "weakening to a depression later today, if not dissipating entirely. Assuming Erika survives the next 24 hours, some restrengthening is possible over the Gulf of Mexico in a less hostile environment."

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MORE FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 A.M.

From the NHC discussion: "The greatest short-term threat posed by Erika continues to be very heavy rainfall over portions of Hispaniola and eastern Cuba. These rains could produce flash floods and mudslides. Although this would normally be an appropriate time for a tropical storm watch for portions of southern Florida following typical timelines, we have elected to wait until later today to see if the circulation of Erika has survived its interaction with Hispaniola."

Free sandbags:

In response to citizen concerns about potential rainfall from Tropical Storm Erika, Brevard County will be distributing free sandbags to residents. They are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Brevard Sheriff''s Farm, 2955 Pluckebaum Road, Cocoa.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office will supervise jail inmates who will be on hand to fill and load sandbags into residents' cars with a limit of 10 per vehicle.

For more information, call Brevard County Public Works at (321) 637-5438.

The City of Titusville is offering up to 10 sand bags per residents starting today while supplies last.

Residents have to come to the city garage compound on North Singleton Ave. just north of Garden Street.

Bags will be distributed by the Solid Waste Division Office and residents must fill their own bags with provided dirt.

The only requirement needed to get bags is that you be a resident of the City of Titusville.

Update, 11 p.m. Friday:

Tropical Storm Erika is now on a course west of Tampa and expected to make landfall south of Tallahassee.

As of the latest report from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the storm is at 18.5°N 72.9°W, 40 miles west of Port Au Prince, Haiti. Maximum sustained winds are 45 mph with a minimum pressure of 1008 mb. It is moving west-northwest at 20 mph.

Friday evening, the Associated Press reported that Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the storm had killed at least 20 people, left 30 missing and set the island back 20 years with damage inflicted.

Update 8 p.m. Friday:

Tropical Storm Erika continues its westward path at 21 mph with 45 mph sustained winds. The minimum pressure is 1008 mb. Erika is dumping heavy rains across Hispaniola.

The location is 18.3 N and 72.0 and is located about 25 miles SE of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.

Update, 5 p.m. Friday:

Tropical Storm Erika is forecast to weaken to a depression near Cuba before restrengthening to a minimal tropical storm as it comes ashore around Tampa.

"Although this would normally be an appropriate time for a tropical storm watch for portions of southern Florida, following typical timelines, we have elected to wait until we see what's left of Erika after it passes Hispaniola," the National Weather Service reports. "There is a significant chance that no watches or warnings for Florida will be required."

Erika has accelerated its westward journey to 21 mph. Maximum sustained winds remain at 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm is 95 miles west-northwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The minimum pressure of 1009 mb has not changed since the 2 p.m. update.

Update, 2 p.m. Friday:

Tropical Storm Erika continues its westward trek at 18 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm was tracked at 2 p.m. by the hurricane center about 60 miles southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The center of Erika will move over the Dominican Republic today, near the Turks and Caicos Islands tonight and near the Bahamas Saturday.

Some weakening is expected today as the storm moves over land, but could gain strength again into the weekend.

A tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of Cuba and the northwestern Bahamas.

MORE: Florida Today Brevard County news

Original story:

Brevard County emergency management officials are continuing to monitor Erika's progress and are advising residents to shore up plans as the storm continues to increase in strength in the Atlantic.

Wednesday, Erika was moving west at 16 mph and was expected to move overnight through the Leeward Islands. Computer models showed that the storm will edge close to Puerto Rico before taking a northwest turn through the Bahamas by the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Hurricane Hunter aircraft sent to examine the storm shows that Erika has grown slightly stronger with maximum sustained winds at 45 mph.

Forecasters say little change in intensity is expected over the next 48 hours, but its forward motion could increase.

In Brevard County, emergency management officials are at a Level 3 status, which means they are monitoring the storm's development and are in contact with state officials and meteorologists. Kimberly Prosser, the director of Brevard County Emergency Management says Brevard's residents should revisit their hurricane plans.

"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, all of that. You want to be ready to start making your decisions," said Prosser, adding that the agency is also reaching out to a number of public safety entities to ensure that they are aware of the storm's potential threat.

Residents should also already have food and water stocked for emergencies, she added.

"It is hurricane season and people should have provision on hand, including at least three days' worth of water and food," Prosser said.

The storm's forecast track, or the area through which forecasters think the storm will most likely travel over the next five days, included much of the east coast of Florida. Residents are encouraged to monitor Erika's progress closely as it could make landfall as a hurricane early Monday.

National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bragaw said residents should start taking early precautions.

"At this point, this storm is still a good five days away based on the latest forecast," Bragaw said. "I would start doing preliminary checklists, making sure that any supplies that you might need are stocked."

He also said there's no reason for residents to panic, either.

"I'm not running out to Lowe's tomorrow to buy six pieces of plywood to slap on my door tomorrow," he added Tuesday night.

Peter Ray, a professor meteorology at Florida State University, says while it's still too soon to say for sure, Erika will likely turn to the north after passing over the Leeward Islands, brush Hispaniola, bringing needed rainfall, and affect the southern Bahamas by this weekend.

"At this time, the less aggressive turns look more favorable. But that could change even by tomorrow. But it may be as late as Friday."

"Early Monday Erika will either go through the Florida Straights, make landfall in the Miami area as a

hurricane, or go up the East coast and maybe hit North Carolina's Outer Banks. It probably will be a couple of days to tell which of the competing steering forces has the edge," Ray said Wednesday morning.

MORE: FLORIDA TODAY Hurricane Guide 2015

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Guadeloupe.A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Leeward Islands tonight, Puerto Rico on Thursday and portions of the Dominican Republic on Friday.