and rain all summer long. many areas certainly don't need more rain. >> it has been a record-breaking year for rain across the south. trees are standing in mud. when that wind comes across, 60, 70 miles per hour, those trees are going to fall down. >> reporter: despite the ongoing government shutdown, concerns over the storm are causing fema employees to return to work. >> fema has begun to recall currently furloughed employees necessary to serve functions of the agency that protect life and property as they prepare for potential landfall. for tropical storm karen. >> reporter: karen is the 11th named storm of what has been an unusually quiet hurricane season this year with only ingrid and humberto becoming full hurricanes so far. last year, superstorm sandy hit the northeast in late october, forecasters don't know why this year has been so quiet but say another situation like sandy is extremely unlikely. >> this is really the peak or the end of the peak of hurricane