Tropical Storm Karen Update: Warnings Issued For Puerto Rico And The Virgin Islands Ahead Of Landfall

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands brace for more rain and wind as Tropical Storm Karen continues moving through the Caribbean.

Since being upgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend, Karen has continued pushing north through the Caribbean. This has put it on a direct course for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, which is expected to face the brunt of the storm.

As of Tuesday morning, Karen was moving north at 7 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph. Forecasts have the storm strengthening later in the week, but it is not expected to become a hurricane. It will also make landfall on the south coast of Puerto Rico later on Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center has also warned that the heavy rainfall still presents a risk to the islands that could prove life-threatening. Tropical storm warnings have been issued, with flash floods and mudslides expected because of the rainfall. The NHC expects the heavy rain to continue through Wednesday.

“This could be enough to bring down trees, and the infrastructure for power is still weak after Maria, so I anticipate power outages,” CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said Tuesday.

Guy is referencing Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in 2017 and ravaged the island. Residents are still recovering from the storm amid catastrophic damage and political tensions. Puerto Rico was also rocked by a 6.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast Monday night, followed by three aftershocks over a 4.0 magnitude.