Tropical Storm Fiona is expected to brush the TCI as a category 1 hurricane next week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center said Fiona is expected to swipe past the Dominican Republic on Sunday as a potential hurricane and Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands on Monday and Tuesday with the threat of extreme rain.
Tropical Storm Fiona threatened to dump up to 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain in parts of Puerto Rico on Saturday as forecasters placed the U.S. territory under a hurricane watch and people braced for potential landslides, severe flooding and power outages.
The storm was located 145 miles (230 kilometers) southeast of St. Croix Saturday morning with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph). It was moving west at 13 mph (20 kph) on a path forecast to pass near Puerto Rico. Forecasters warned Fiona could be near hurricane strength when it passes through Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The National Hurricane Center noted that though Fiona is the first hurricane of the season, which is somewhat late, persons should not let their guards down, as more dangerous storms could be on the cards.
Fiona is the Atlantic hurricane season's sixth named storm.