Suggested Searches

15 min read

Erika (Atlantic Ocean)

NASA Measured Erika’s 9-Day Rainfall Totals From Space

GOES-East image of Erika
This visible image from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite shows the remnant clouds associated with former Tropical Storm Erika over south Florida on August 30 at 9 a.m. EDT.
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Tropical Storm Erika was a rainmaker in the Caribbean islands, and NASA’s GPM satellite was able to estimate the total rainfall the storm generated over nine days. Today, Sunday, August 30, 2015, Erika continues to bring those heavy rains to southern Florida.

On Saturday, August 30, 2015, Erika dissipated over north central Cuba but not before dropping heavy rainfall that contributed to the reported deaths of at least 20 people in the mountainous Caribbean island nation of Dominica.

The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite can measure rainfall rates from space. GPM is a mission that is a joint effort between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, real time data from NASA’s Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) were used to make a rainfall analysis and provide an early estimate of rainfall that accompanied tropical depression and tropical storm Erika August 21 through 29, 2015. The heaviest rainfall in the analysis was estimated to be over 307 mm (12.1 inches) in the area of Dominica.

NASA Measured Erika’s Rainfall Totals From Space GPM measured rainfall from Tropical Storm Erika August 21 through 29, 2015. The heaviest rainfall in the analysis was estimated to be over 307 mm (12.1 inches) in the area of Dominica.
Credits: NASA/JAXA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

On Sunday, August 30, 2015, Erika’s remnants were in the form of an elongated area of low pressure or a trough. They were producing areas of heavy rain over portions of south Florida, the Florida Keys, and Cuba. 

The National Hurricane Center noted that there are no signs of re-development at this time, upper-level winds could become marginally favorable for tropical cyclone formation over the next day or so. NHC Forecaster Cangialosi said in the 8 a.m. EDT discussion, “Regardless of this system’s prospects for regeneration, locally heavy rains and gusty winds are expected to spread northwestward and then northward across Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico later today and Monday. 

Hal Pierce/Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 29, 2015 – NASA Sees Tropical Storm Erika Dissipate Near Eastern Cuba

This animation of visible and infrared imagery from NOAA’s GOES-West satellite from Aug. 27 to 29 shows Tropical Storm Erika move through the Eastern Caribbean Sea and dissipate near eastern Cuba. TRT: 0:50
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

Satellite data from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite was made into an animation that showed the demise of former Tropical Storm Erika as it neared eastern Cuba early on August 29.

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA/NOAA’s GOES Project compiled three days’ worth of imagery from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite that showed the movement and changes in former Tropical Storm Erika from August 27 to August 29. The animation showed Erika move through the Leeward Islands and into the Eastern Caribbean Sea, as its center passed just south of Puerto Rico, then crossed over the island of Hispaniola which has the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic where the storm weakened. Erika then moved in a westerly direction where it dissipated near eastern Cuba.

On the previous day when NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over Erika, infrared data still showed that the storm had powerful thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures near -63F/-53C. Cloud top temperatures that cold have been shown to generate heavy rainfall, and heavy rain has been the biggest problem with Erika, causing flooding in Dominica. On August 27, the Canefield Airport near Roseau, Dominica reported 12.64 inches of rain fell between 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT.

AIRS Image of Erika
This false-colored infrared image from Aug. 28 at 18:05 UTC (2:05 p.m. EDT) shows there were still high, cold, strong thunderstorms (purple) with cloud top temperatures in excess of -63F/-53C around the center of Tropical Storm Erika.
Credits: NASA JPL, Ed Olsen

Heavy rainfall continues to be a big threat with Erika’s remnants. On August 29, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted the remnants are expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches possible across portions of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and eastern and central Cuba through Sunday, August 30. In addition, rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected across the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as the southeastern and central Bahamas through Sunday.  Rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches, with locally heavier amounts, are possible across southern and central Florida beginning on Sunday.

The NHC issued their final advisory on Erika on Saturday, August 29 at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 UTC). At that time the remnants of Erika were estimated near latitude 21.5 North and longitude 75.9 West near the north coast of eastern Cuba. The center was about 130 miles (205 km) east of Camaguey, Cuba, and about 260 miles (420 km) south-southeast of Nassau, Bahamas. The remnants were moving toward the west-northwest near 22 mph (35 kph) and are expected to continue in that direction for another day. 

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) and had an estimated minimum central pressure is 1011 millibars.

NHC noted that Erika’s remnants are expected to move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, August 30. All coastal watches and warnings are discontinued.

NHC Forecaster Beven noted in the final discussion on Erika that dynamical computer models suggest that the strong wind shear that has been affecting the storm could relax by the time the system reaches the Gulf of Mexico, and there is a possibility that Erika could regenerate. 

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 28, 2015 – NASA, NOAA Satellites Show Erika Affecting Hispaniola

MODIS image of Erika
On August 28 at 15:05 UTC (11:05 a.m. EDT) NASA’s Terra satellite saw Tropical Storm Erika (05L) approaching Hispaniola.
Credits: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Tropical Storm Erika was centered in the Eastern Caribbean Sea and affecting Puerto Rico and Hispaniola when NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead mid-day on Friday, August 28, 2015. Two hours after Terra passed, NOAA’s GOES-East satellite saw Erika’s western side over the Dominican Republic. 

At 15:05 UTC (11:05 a.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured a visible light image Tropical Storm Erika approaching Hispaniola. Erika’s center was in the eastern Caribbean Sea, and the northern quadrant of the storm blanketed Puerto Rico with clouds and showers.

Just two hours later NOAA’s GOES-East satellite captured a visible image of Erika and showed that the storm had already covered the Dominican Republic on its west-northwestern track.

Watches and Warnings

At 2 p.m. EDT, there were a number of watches and warnings still in effect for the Eastern Caribbean and the Bahamas. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, southeastern Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the central Bahamas. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the northwestern Bahamas, the Cuban Provinces of Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, and Guantanamo.

Heavy rainfall is a large threat from Erika. Erika is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches possible across portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeastern and central Bahamas through Saturday. An additional 1 to 2 inches is expected for Puerto Rico.  These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.

Erika on August 28, 2015 at 2 p.m. EDT

This animation of GOES-East visible and infrared imagery shows the development and track of Tropical Storm Erika from Aug. 25 to Aug. 28, 2015 ending in eastern Caribbean Sea.
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

At 2 p.m. EDT (1800 UTC) on August 28, 2015, the center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 17.7 North, longitude 70.2 West. Punta Cana at the eastern end of the Dominican Republic reported wind gusts of 40 mph (64 kph).

Erika has been moving westward near 18 mph (30 km/h) for the past several hours.  A motion toward the west-northwest is expected to being later this afternoon or tonight and continue through Sunday, August 30.  On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move near the Turks and Caicos Islands on Friday night, August 28 and move near the central and northwestern Bahamas on August 29.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 kph) and some weakening is forecast from the National Hurricane Center as Erika moves over land. The minimum central pressure based on Hurricane Hunter aircraft data and surface observations is 1009 millibars.

Factors to Consider in Erika’s Fate

The NHC is closely monitoring the storm and adjusting the forecast track as needed. There are a number of factors that are being considered in the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast. NHC Forecaster Beven noted in the Aug. 28 NHC discussion at 2 p.m. EDT, “Westerly to southwesterly vertical wind shear is forecast to continue or increase during the next 12 to 24 hours. This, combined with land interaction, suggests that the cyclone should weaken, and there is a chance the system could degenerate to a tropical wave while crossing Hispaniola. Assuming the cyclone survives, the shear should decrease some after 36 hours, which could allow some strengthening up to the time of possible landfall on the Florida Peninsula.”

As of 2 p.m. EDT on August 28, the NHC five day forecast track takes Erika on a track northwest and paralleling the north coast of Cuba before making landfall in southwestern Florida early Monday, August 31. To get the latest forecast, watches, warnings and storm track, visit the NHC website: www.nhc.noaa.gov.

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 27, 2015 – NASA’s GPM Satellite Analyzes Tropical Storm Erika’s Rainfall

GPM showed thunderstorm cloud tops reaching to just over 14 km (8.6 miles) high and PM showed rainfall of up to 52.8 mm (2.0 inches) per hour. The GPM data was overlaid on infrared data from the GOES-East satellite.
Credits: NASA/JAXA/SSAI, Hal Pierce

The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite has provided meteorologists with a look at the towering thunderstorms and heavy rainfall occurring in Tropical Storm Erika as it moves through the Caribbean Sea.

On August 27, 2015, there were many warnings and watches in effect as Tropical Storm Erika continued to rain on Leeward Islands. A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands. A Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for Guadeloupe, the northern coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the border of Haiti, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Tropical Storm Erika, the fifth named storm of the season, entered the northeast Caribbean early on the morning of August 27 as it passed through the Leeward Islands between Guadeloupe and Antigua. Fortunately, there were no reports of damage thanks in part to the effects of inhibiting wind shear, which kept the storm from strengthening. 

Erika originated as a wave of low pressure that was first detected on Friday, August 21 midway between the West Coast of Africa and the Cape Verde Islands. The wave then tracked westward across the tropical mid Atlantic where it eventually intensified enough to become a tropical storm, Tropical Storm Erika, about three days later on the evening of August 24 (local time, EDT).

At this point, Erika was located about 955 miles due east of the Leeward Islands.  However, despite being over warm water, Erika struggled to intensify as it approached the Leeward Islands over the next few days thanks to an upper-level tough of low pressure near Hispaniola in the north central Caribbean, which created westerly wind shear that disrupted the storm’s circulation.

Two instruments aboard GPM captured an image of Erika at 17:26 UTC (1:26 p.m. EDT) on August 26 as the storm was nearing the Leeward Islands. Rain rates derived from the GPM Microwave Imager or GMI captured rain rates in outer area and the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar or DPR instrument captured rain rates in the inner area. GPM showed rainfall of up to 52.8 mm (2.0 inches) per hour.

The images revealed that the low-level center of circulation was displaced well to the northwest of the storm’s rain field, which contains areas of embedded convection (thunderstorms) necessary strengthen and maintain the storm.  However, for the storm to intensify, those areas of convection need to be located close to the storm’s core, which is not the case here due to the effects of wind shear.  At about the time of this image, the National Hurricane Center reported that Erika’s maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph, making it a weak tropical storm, and that Erika was experiencing moderate northwesterly wind shear as it moved westward near 17 mph.

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the DPR data was used to create a 3-D rendering of Erika. That 3-D image showed thunderstorm cloud tops reaching to just over 14 km (8.6 miles).

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 16.4 North, longitude 63.3 West.  Erika is moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 kph).

This animation of images captured August 25 to 27 from NOAA’s GOES-West satellite shows Tropical Storm Erika approaching the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. TRT: 00:36
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects a turn toward the west-northwest later on August 27, and this general motion should continue for the next 48 hours.  On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move near the Virgin Islands later today, move near or north of Puerto Rico tonight, and pass north of the north coast of the Dominican Republic on Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 kph), and NHC expects little change in strength over the next two days. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 millibars.

For updates on the forecast and track, and local effects, visit the NHC web page: www.nhc.noaa.gov.

GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

Steve Lang
SSAI/NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 26, 2015 – NASA Sees Tropical Storm Erika Approaching the Lesser Antilles

GOES-East Image of Erika
This visible image of Tropical Storm Erika was taken from NOAA’s GOES-East satellite on Aug. 26 at 7:45 a.m. EDT as it headed toward the Lesser Antilles.
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

As Tropical Storm Ericka continued moving toward the Lesser Antilles, NASA’s Aqua and other satellites were gathering data. Satellite imagery showed strong thunderstorms wrapped around Erika’s center.

Infrared data, such as that gathered by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite is used to determine cloud top temperature. The colder the cloud tops, the higher they are in the atmosphere, and they are usually stronger. Cloud tops around Erika’s center were near -63F/-53C, indicating strong thunderstorms.

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, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy.

AIRS image of Erika
On Aug. 25 at 01:59 UTC, the AIRS instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite saw cloud tops around Erika’s center were near -63F/-53C, indicating strong thunderstorms.
Credits: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen

At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) on Wednesday, August 26, the center of Tropical Storm Erika was located near latitude 16.2 North, longitude 56.8 West. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Erika was moving toward the west near 17 mph (28 kph), and a west to west-northwestward motion is expected over the next two days. Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts. The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 1005 millibars.

This animation of GOES-East visible and infrared imagery shows the development and track of Tropical Storm Erika from Aug. 23 to Aug. 26, 2015.
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

NHC said Erika is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches across portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico through Friday morning, August 28. Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. For updated watches and warnings, visit the National Hurricane Center website: www.nhc.noaa.gov.

According to the NHC forecast track, the center of Erika will move near or over portions of the Leeward Islands tonight and move near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Thursday, August 27.

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Aug. 25, 2015 – NASA Looks at Tropical Storm Erika Inside and Outside

GPM image of Erika
On Aug. 25 at 2:11 a.m. EDT, GPM passed over the northwestern part of the storm and found heaviest rain falling at a rate of 1.1 inches per hour.
Credits: NASA/JAXA/NRL

Tropical Storm Erika was analyzed inside and outside with satellite data. NASA’s GPM and NOAA’s GOES satellite provided views at the newborn Atlantic storm’s rainfall and cloud extent.

Tropical Storm Erika has triggered a Tropical Storm Watch for Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius on Tuesday, August 25.

GOES-East image of Erika
NOAA’s GOES-East satellite captured this visible light image of newborn Atlantic Tropical Storm Erika on August 25 at 7:45 a.m. EDT.
Credits: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite captured rainfall data happening within northwestern half of Tropical Storm Erika on August 25 at 0611 UTC (2:11 a.m. EDT). GPM passed over the northwestern part of the storm and found heaviest rain falling at a rate of 1.1 inches per hour in scattered areas around the center of circulation. GPM is managed by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

NOAA’s GOES-East satellite provided a visible look Erika’s cloud extent on August 25 at 7:45 a.m. EDT. The image showed thunderstorms concentrated around the low-level center of circulation and in a band to the southeast of the center. The GOES image was created at NASA’s GOES Project at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) on August 25, Erika was about 750 miles (1205 km) east of the Leeward Islands, near latitude 14.8 North, longitude 50.2 West. Erika’s maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). Erika was moving toward the west near 20 mph (31 kph), and a westward to west-northwestward motion with a slight decrease in forward speed is expected during the next 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The estimated minimum central pressure is 1003 millibars.

NHC noted that on the forecast track, the center of Erika will approach the Leeward Islands Wednesday night and early Thursday, August 27. For updated forecasts, watches and warnings, visit the NHC website: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center