Joaquin strengthened into a category 4 hurricane Thursday as it moved through lightly-populated islands of the eastern Bahamas.
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A hurricane watch was in effect for Bimini and Andros Island.
The hurricane has now reached the Bahamas and is expected to stay in the area for at least another day before likely turning out over the Atlantic Ocean.
In addition to howling winds, Joaquin threatens to produce a risky storm surge and up to 10 inches of rain along its path.
Joaquin is crawling through the Central Bahamas with a forward motion of just 6 miles per hour, prolonging the islands’ time spent in the most risky part of the hurricane.
Even though Joaquin is now unlikely to make landfall in the USA, Accuweather’s Sosnowski said, “People should not let their guard down due to a shifting track of the hurricane as the risk to lives and property in this complex situation remains high”.
Hurricane Joaquin is the first Category 4 storm to track through the Bahamas in October since 1866. It is forecast to turn toward the west-northwest Thursday night followed by a turn toward the north and an increase in forward speed Friday, according to the hurricane center.
Joaquin had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (210 kph) and hurricane strength winds extending 45 miles (75 kilometers) from the eye, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
‘Joaquin becomes an extremely unsafe category four hurricane, ‘ the latest NHC bulletin said.
Beaufort County is likely to be drenched with rain this weekend, but not from a strengthening hurricane moving up the East Coast this week.
Despite the more favorable outlook, the NHC said Joaquin could still cause flooding from South Carolina to New England. On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo mobilized state agencies in preparation for potential weather emergencies. There are a few suggestions that the axis of heavy rain drops south into SC by Sunday- but still expect left-over areas of rain into the second half of the weekend, especially from I-85 south.
Weather models showed Joaquin shifting eastward late Thursday afternoon, though meteorologists caution there’s still a great deal of uncertainty about its overall track.
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The hurricane center also is monitoring a disturbance in the central Atlantic, giving it a medium chance of developing over the next five days.
