Tropical Storm Bertha is headed to Turks and Caicos islands Sunday after hitting the Dominican Republic Saturday night.

The storm reduced speed by about 5 mph to 45 mph, but it is expected to strengthen again Monday, according to The Associated Press.

Bertha's current forecast track shows it turning away from the U.S. mainland and moving parallel up the eastern seaboard.

Emergency officials in the Dominican Republic said that while Bertha brought rain, there was no damage reported, according to The Associated Press. All tourist activities in Punta Cana were canceled, and fishing boats were barred from entering the water on the east coast -- the eastern part of the country was hit the hardest.

Before hitting Hispanola, Bertha's gusty winds and rain knocked out power in parts of Puerto Rico. More than 39,000 were without power, and 3,000 were without water after the storm released 1,200 lightning strikes over the island. About 220 people, most of which were international athletes, were at government shelters. The Yunque rainforest, a popular tourist attraction, was closed during the storm.

Meanwhile in the rural areas, residents who lived in less stable homes could hear the storm pass clearly overhead. Jose Colon Rivera, 50, who lives in a rural area near the southern town of Cayey, told the AP that he could hear the wind whistling loudly through his zinc roof while he was watching TV.

The airport remained open, but several flights were canceled.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned residents of flooding, landslides and to not crossing swollen rivers.

"It's something that sounds obvious but it happens so often," he said. "It's not the time to take risks."

The only benefit of the storm was the rain provided water to a Puerto Rican area that was suffering from a drought, but it is unknown if the about 8 inches of rain was enough to lift water restrictions in the region.

The storm is going to head to Turks and Caicos and possibly cause some winds and rain over the Bahamas, according to USA Today.

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