Residents along the East Coast are bracing for Hurricane Joaquin which has been gaining strength in the Atlantic and is now a Category 3.
Accuweather.com noted that it is still unclear if Joaquin will make landfall somewhere along the Eastern seaboard by the weekend or if it will stay off the coast. But either way experts say it will likely bring a significant amount of rainfall between the Carolinas through New Jersey.
NBC News reported that North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe are each taking precautions ahead of Joaquin.
McCrory ordered that state agencies begin preparations for flooding and on Wednesday McAuliffe declared a state of emergency.
"I cannot stress enough the imperative for Virginians to focus on the rainstorms that are headed our way [Thursday] and Friday, well before Hurricane Joaquin could potentially impact Virginia," McAuliffe said. "The forecast of up to 10 inches of rain in areas across Virginia could result in floods, power outages and a serious threat to life and property."
The storm will pass the Bahamas on Thursday and has the potential to become a Category 4.
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