Erika has dissipated; no longer a tropical storm

Storm could regenerate over the Gulf, but not likely

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Erika is no more. As of 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Erika to a remnant area of low pressure after the Hurricane Hunters found that the system lacked sufficient organization.

All tropical storm watches and warnings have been canceled for the island nations, including Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

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Regeneration over the gulf is possible but not likely as atmospheric conditions are not favorable with very high wind shear in place. 

At this time, there will be no further updates on what remains of Erika from the National Hurricane Center. The final advisory has been issued.

The Weather Authority kept you ahead of the storm with the latest regarding the possible outcomes of Erika -- which always included the possibility of degeneration.

"This has been one of the more challenging forecasts I've seen," said Blake Mathews, weather producer and meteorologist for The Weather Authority. "We knew the possibility of dissipation existed with the island of Hispaniola in its way. We deal with probabilities, not certainties in weather, and in this case, the probability came to fruition."

Even though the storm has lost its tropical characteristics, the moisture is still there and headed toward Florida.

The National Weather Service issued a statement by the Hydrological Prediction Center:

"Widespread heavy rainfall will be possible as the remnants of Erika approach the local area next week. A slow moving system over the local area could create major flooding issues area-wide as river levels rise in response. The track and speed of the remnants of Erika will greatly affect rainfall totals over the area and should be closely monitored as there is still uncertainty in the forecast of this system."

It's important moving forward to keep a close eye on the storm as the moisture continues to move toward the state.

Flood watches are likely for our area by Monday and The Weather Authority is monitoring the possibility of a Weather Authority Alert Day on Tuesday and Wednesday.