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State of emergency in Florida as Erika nears

Tallahassee - Governor Rick Scott is declaring a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Erika nears Florida.

The storm could hit the peninsula on Monday. Scott made his declaration shortly after forecasters adjusted the trajectory of the storm to show that it's predicted to go through the middle of the state.

Scott's emergency order says Erika "poses a severe threat to the entire state".

The order calls for the activation of the National Guard and gives authorities the ability to waive tolls and rules to allow emergency crews and vehicles to move throughout the state.

A hurricane hasn't hit Florida in 10 years. The latest forecasts show that Erika will remain a tropical storm when it makes landfall.

On Friday, Erika lashed Puerto Rico with wind and rain and had killed at least four people. The storm was about 140km east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republican, and was moving west at 27km/h with maximum sustained winds of 80km/h. 

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