Even if Hurricane Joaquin spares the already-soaked East Coast and moves further away from the shore and out to sea, residents in the region will still feel its effects.
Weather.com reported that two people in the Carolinas were killed in the storm which is actually a system ahead of the hurricane that has been drenching the states.
One person was found dead Thursday morning in a submerged vehicle underneath a bridge in Spartanburg, South Carolina and another person in Fayetteville, North Carolina was killed when a tree fell onto her car. Each state has since declared a state of emergency.
As we previously reported, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe also declared a state of emergency and several other states are warning residents about flooding whether Joaquin hits or not.
"These heavy rains are likely to continue for the next few days, even if the center of Joaquin stays offshore," said the National Hurricane Center in a Thursday morning forecast discussion. "The resulting inland flood potential could complicate preparations for Joaquin should it head toward the coast and even more substantial inland flooding is possible if Joaquin later passes near or over these same areas."
As of Friday morning, Hurricane Joaquin was over the Bahamas.
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