Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands as Tropical Storm Karen continues to move slowly across the southeastern Caribbean Sea.

Authorities there urged residents to prepare for heavy winds, rain and damage on Tuesday and into Wednesday as Karen rolls toward islands still recovering from the devastation of historic Hurricane Maria two years ago.

Characterizing Karen midday Monday as “disorganized,” the National Hurricane Center said the storm is about 195 miles south of St. Croix, with top sustained winds of 40 mph. It’s moving northwest at 8 mph.

Although the storm is a blip on the weather map compared to the ferocity of Maria, Puerto Rico’s power grid remains unstable, and hundreds of thousands of residents live in housing still in disrepair from the Sept. 20, 2017 storm. Maria, a Category 5 storm with 175-mph winds, killed nearly 3,000 people on Puerto Rico alone and was blamed for $90 billion in damage. 

Gov. Wanda Vázquez said Monday she activated the National Guard and urged people in flood-prone areas to seek shelter.

“I urge citizens to be calm but vigilant and update their family plan,” Vázquez posted on Twitter.

The Hurricane Center warned that much of the islands will see 2 to 4 inches of rain; 8 inches could fall in isolated areas. “These rains may cause flash flooding and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas,” the Hurricane Center said.

After lashing Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Karen is forecast to move north into the Atlantic Ocean then potentially make a left turn toward the Bahamas and the U.S. mainland by the weekend. But that forecast is far from certain, Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters said.

Still, AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said “as a result of the short-range track and the potential long-range track and strength, interests from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to the Bahamas and Florida should monitor Karen.”

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Jerry was located 345 miles southwest of Bermuda with top sustained winds of 65 mph, as of 11 a.m. ET. It’s moving north-northwestward at 7 mph and is expected to pass near Bermuda on Tuesday night. Tropical storm warnings have been issued there. 

Further out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Lorenzo formed Monday morning. Though it’s forecast to become a hurricane, the storm is expected to stay out to sea far from land.

Lorenzo is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season to date. According to Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach, the entire Atlantic hurricane season averages about 12 named storms.

Contributing: The Associated Press