Tropical Storm Erika was a short-lived tropical cyclone that brought minor impacts to the Lesser Antilles. The fifth named storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, Erika originated out of a tropical wave on September 1 near the Lesser Antilles. Although it was a disorganized system, it was immediately declared a tropical storm, rather than a tropical depression. Later that day, the system reached its peak intensity with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg). Increased wind shear caused the storm to weaken shortly thereafter, with Erika barely maintaining tropical storm-status by September 2. Later that day, the storm passed over the island of Guadeloupe and entered the Caribbean Sea. On September 3, Erika weakened to a tropical depression as the low pressure center became fully displaced from convective activity. Later that day, the system degenerated into a remnant low before dissipating near Puerto Rico on September 4.
Due to the storm's low intensity, Erika produced little damage in the Lesser Antilles during its passage through the islands. Guadeloupe recorded up to of rain, leading to flooding and some landslides; 12,000 people on the island were left without power. Several other islands recorded moderate rainfall form the system before the tropical storm degenerated into a remnant low. In Puerto Rico, the cyclone's remnants produced heavy rainfall, peaking at , that triggered flooding in several regions.
Meteorological history
Tropical Storm Erika originated from a tropical wave accompanied by disorganized shower and thunderstorm activity that moved off the west coast of Africa, near the Cape Verde Islands, on August 25. The following day, convection surrounding the wave began to show signs of organization as it tracked westward across the Atlantic. By August 28, an area of low pressure developed from the wave. Environmental conditions ahead of the low were favorable for further development of the system. Despite the favorable conditions, the low became increasingly disorganized on August 29, with little convection remaining around the center of circulation. The next day, the system quickly became organized, with shower and thunderstorms developing around the center and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that the low would likely become a tropical depression within 24 hours. Although convection was well-organized, the system lacked a defined low-level circulation center, leading to the NHC not issuing advisories on the system at that time.
On September 1, a Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance mission into the low found a closed circulation center and tropical storm-force winds. Upon finding the low-level circulation center, the NHC began monitoring the system as Tropical Storm Erika, the fifth named storm of the 2009 season. Erika was slightly disorganized due to moderate wind shear, with the center partially devoid of convection. However, with warm sea surface temperatures, the storm was forecast to intensify to a strong tropical storm within a few days. A mid-level ridge to the north led to Erika maintaining a general westward track for most of its existence. Several hours after being classified, the storm reached its peak intensity with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 1004 mbar (hPa; 29.65 inHg). However, the peak intensity was operationally placed at 60 mph (95 km/h) based on readings from reconnaissance missions. In post-storm analysis of these readings, it was determined that the NHC had overestimated the wind speeds in an area of unusually heavy rains. By the morning of September 2, Erika became significantly disorganized, and Hurricane Hunters reported the possibility that multiple circulation centers existed within the broader storm system.