Hurricane Erika: State of Emergency Declared in Florida
Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for all of Florida in preparation for Tropical Storm Erika, which is expected to make landfall over the state on Monday. News sources report that at least 12 people were killed on Dominica this week as Erika brought heavy rainfall, winds and flooding to the small Caribbean island. Still, the storm is not expected to be upgraded to a hurricane before reaching the, U.S. but Gov. Scott has warned Florida residents that they should be prepared with a properly stocked hurricane kit, food and water.
Cruise Lines have begun preparing for the storm. Royal Caribbean changed the itinerary of the Adventure of the Seas and moved the departure date of the Independence of the Seas up two hours to try and avoid the storm. Norwegian Cruise Line revised the Norwegian Getaway’s Eastern Caribbean itinerary to a Western Caribbean itinerary while Carnival changed port calls for the Carnival Conquest, which is due to sail back into Florida on Monday. Most cruise lines said they are monitoring the storm and will make changes if necessary.