It is hurricane season.

For some, this may mean nothing. For others, this is the scariest time of the year.

Within eight hours your living situation can change. Your community may never recover.

This all recently happened in the Dominica.

On Aug. 28, tropical Storm Erika’s path was heading towards the small island of Dominica. Unfortunately the results were catastrophic to the area.

“The extent of the devastation is monumental,” Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a televised address. “It is far worse than expected.”

Hundreds of homes, bridges and roads have been destroyed.

“We have, in essence, to rebuild Dominica,” said Skerrit.

It is reported that the storm took the lives of 20 civilians and left roughly 31 people missing. “The deaths are believed to have been caused by flash flooding and landslides,” said WPTV News Channel 5 meteorologist Glenn Glazer in an email interview with the Guilfordian.

“If there is significant rainfall in an area prone to flooding then anything can happen. Although this was a weakening tropical storm there is no ‘normal’ when it comes to tropical cyclones.”

Although Erika was a weakening tropical storm, it still managed to kill 20 people.

“A weakening tropical storm doesn’t mean it is weak,” said WPTV News Channel 5 meteorologist Lisa Vaughn in an email interview with the Guilfordian. “Sustained winds of 50-60 mph and flooding rains can still be devastating and deadly. You don’t need a category five hurricane for death and devastation.”

The storm is expected to set the island back 20 years due to the damage it inflicted.

“Fifteen inches of rain is no joke to deal with and can have huge economic implications,” said Interim Assistant Director of Study Abroad Robert Van Pelt. “Agriculture in Dominica such as bananas may have their harvest ruined due to flooded fields or other damage caused by the storm.”

“As an island nation, exporting and importing goods is necessary for the sustainability of the economy to ensure that goods aren’t produced on the island can be brought in,” said Van Pelt. “Ships and ports may have been damaged or destroyed in this storm, which can create issues in bringing supplies in and out of the country”.

It’s going to be tough for Dominica to recover as an island and as an economy from tropical storm Erika.