Four people died and several others were missing as tropical storm Erika hit the Caribbean island nation of Dominica on Thursday.

A visually impaired senior citizen and two children were killed when a mudslide crashed into their house in the southeast of the island, and another man's body was found near his home following a mudslide in the capital city of Roseau, according to reports monitored in Kingston, Jamaica.

The storm has dumped a general rainfall of about 15 inches (388 mm) on Dominica within 24 hours, unleashing serious flooding and mudslides that damaged roads and houses. Electricity and water supplies were cut in 80 percent of the island.

Douglas Charles Airport, the country's only international airport, was closed due to flooding.

Acting Prime Minister Rayburn Blackmoore asked people to remain calm and stay indoors.

The National Hurricane Center of the United States forecast that Erika will move northwestward and further influence the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Bahamas in the next two days.