No island in The Bahamas will be spared the wrath of Tropical Storm Erika, meteorologist Michael Stubbs warned yesterday. Stubbs said the system is expected to take a similar path as Hurricane Jeanne, which devastated parts of The Bahamas in 2004. "We want to alert and send a warning to all residents that they should really begin to prepare themselves for this imminent storm because based on projections and its track, it seems as if no island in The Bahamas would really be spared from some strong winds or rain from Tropical Storm Erika," Stubbs said. "So certainly we don't want residents to relax. We want them to be vigilant."

The Department of Meteorology issued a tropical storm alert yesterday for Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Ragged Island. The alert means that tropical storm conditions can be expected within 48 to 60 hours. While the storm is expected to strengthen into a hurricane, Stubbs said chances are the system won't do so until it moves across the central Bahamas. Up to last night, Erika was packing winds of up to 45 mph. "As it makes its way northward it would gain some strength," Stubbs said. "The threshold or the change in status would happen after it exceeds 73 mph in terms of maximum sustained winds, which is expected to happen as it enters the islands of the Northwest Bahamas. "So around the Exuma Cays, Andros, Eleuthera and New Providence, around that general vicinity we expect it to change status and increase in intensity, becoming a minimal hurricane."

Stubbs said residents should expect severe flooding, given the rainy weather this week. "It's a rainmaker," he said. "We've already been inundated with rain over the last few days so grounds would have reached their field capacity or saturation point. So flooding is imminent."

Ministry of Works officials said teams are working to clear the drains. However, officials said debris associated with the rain has created some challenges. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Stephen Russell said NEMA is ready for the storm.

Russell said island administrators have made preparations to ensure that residents are sufficiently warned about the storm. He said shelters have also been inspected. NEMA has not yet said which shelters will open, however. Stubbs encouraged residents in low-lying areas to prepare to stay with family members for the duration of the storm or go to a shelter. The list of shelters is expected to be released today.

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