In Puerto Rico, Fiona has already caused widespread destruction, with multiple deaths reported after the storm dumped more than two feet of rain on the island and cut off electricity supplies to US territory.
“The damage we are seeing is catastrophic,” said Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi.
A 58-year-old man was found dead Monday afternoon after being swept by the currents of the La Plata River in the city of ComerÃo, Telemundo Puerto Rico reported.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man from the city of Arecibo died of fire-related injuries after a generator he was using exploded. Emergency services said the man tried to refuel his generator while it was still running, causing the machine to explode.
Officials said two other people who died in shelters during the storm are believed to have died of natural causes, but they said they were still waiting for the Institute of Forensic Sciences to confirm that.
The devastation and massive power outages caused by Fiona were a chilling reminder of Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm that hit Puerto Rico five years ago as the deadliest natural disaster on US soil in a century. Nearly 3,000 deaths were linked to the storm.