An earthquake struck near Puerto Rico. The Epicenter of the quake of magnitude 6.0 was about 50 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. It struck just before midnight with a number of aftershocks. There are no reports of any serious damage or injuries. However, rains followed as the island faced the fury of tropical storm Karen. It was centered 35 miles southeast of Puerto Rico San Juan and was advancing north at 8 mph. As a result, the National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning with forecast of strong winds.The country has eperience with devastating storm and in Hurricane Maria had devastated the island nation.

USA Today says Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced ordered the closure of schools and government offices as a precautionary measure and urged residents to remain calm. She added there was no risk of a tsunami from the quake, in spite of it being a strong tremor. The wind speeds of Karen were in the region of 45 mph but could strengthen over the next couple of days. Predictions of the hurricane center are the center of the storm would pass near or over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and subsequently shift direction to the western Atlantic.

Shelters kept ready in anticipation of floods

The authorities are on their guard because some isolated areas of Puerto Rico could see heavy rainfall that could have a cascading effect in the form of floods and mudslides.

This is especially true for areas that are still trying to come to terms with the damage left behind by Hurricane Maria. It was a Category 5 storm and killed more than 3,000. The financial impact of the damage was more than $90 billion and thousands of Puerto Ricans occupy houses that need repairs. Keeping that in mind, the authorities have opened shelters in anticipation of floods.

USA Today quotes an official of the island’s Department of Public Security as saying, “We must remember that we are in the most active period of the hurricane season – and we should not lower our guard.” He advised residents to stock essentials like food and water for 10 days.

They should also ensure safety of important documents for identification purposes and keep an emergency backpack handy. Any storm is a natural disaster and people must be prepared to face the after effects.

Puerto Rico prepares to face tropical storm Karen

According to CBS News, the scars left by Hurricane Maria have not yet healed. It left the infrastructure in a shambles, more than 25,000 homes still have blue tarps for roofs and the electric grid remains unstable. This brings into focus the need for renewable energy like solar power for Puerto Rico which is now preparing to face tropical storm Karen.

U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. indicated that there could be mudslides in the territory apart from major power outages.

He cautioned the residents, "Don't take the storm lightly. It will start to throw massive rain." The San Juan office of National Weather Service warned about possibilities of serious flooding in mountainous regions of the island nation. Governor Vázquez urged people in flood-prone areas to move into shelters.
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