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Watching and waiting. That’s what state officials and Floridians are doing as all eyes are on Tropical Storm Erika and it’s still to be determined path towards Florida. As Matt Galka tells us, the Governor has already issued a state of emergency.

The effect Tropical Storm Erika will have on Florida is still very unclear.  The state’s Division of Emergency Management center continued to buzz Friday, but didn’t provide many details about preparations.

The State’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee remained at activation level 2 Friday but declined to give any further comment on-camera

We were shut out and told to reference the Governor’s meeting in Miami Friday morning.

“Right now we don’t know how much rainfall we’re going to get, the storm tracks west, which means we’re probably going to get more rainfall, again we don’t know yet. That’s probably one of our biggest risks,” said Governor Rick Scott after his South Florida briefing.

The Red Cross is gearing up. Shannon Tyler says Centers in the North, Central, and Southern regions are making preparations.

“All three have stood up and are actively calling volunteers, and getting volunteers to let us know their availability in the event that we need. We’re putting shelters on standby across the state,” said Tyler.

Tyler says even if the storm turns out to be nothing, situations like this are still good reminders for people who may have forgotten just how devastating they can be.

“Everyone needs to be self sufficient for up to 72 hours in the event of any kind of large disaster…that means water, food. It’s important not only to have a plan but to share your plans with families,” she said.

The storm is being blamed for deaths in the Caribbean as it continues to thrash the island region.

The state of emergency helps Florida when it comes to seeking assistance from other states or the federal government. The National Guard has been activated as long as the storm threat remains.