PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – Five people were killed in Haiti as Tropical Storm Erika drenched sections of French speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) member state.

The Associated Press reports that one person was killed in a mudslide to the north of here while four others were killed in a traffic accident that has been attributed to rain.

The authorities also evacuated 254 prisoners from the town of Gonaives to other locations because of the flooding.

Two persons were also hospitalised when their home in Port au Prince collapsed in the heavy rains.

In Cuba, the eastern city of Santiago also felt the impact of the system , although there have been no reports of flooding or other damage.

The storm, that dissipated  early Saturday, also killed at least 20 people in Dominica .

In Puerto Rico it  knocked out power to more than 200,000 people and caused more than US$16 million in damage to crops .

The Miami based National Hurricane Centre says although Erika is no longer a tropical storm, the system could still bring heavy rains and flooding as it heads to Florida .

On Saturday, Governor Rick Scott urged Florida residents to remain vigilant .

A statement from Scott’s office on Saturday said 8,000 members of the Florida National Guard are on standby and ready to respond to locations that may require help.