New Jersey has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Joaquin, which is barrelling toward the US East Coast.
Joaquin was upgraded to a major Category 4 storm on Thursday as it battered the Bahamas with winds of up to 120 mph.
A storm with a wind speed of greater than 110 mph is considered a "major hurricane."
Many parts of the eastern seaboard are experiencing heavy rains and winds associated with the storm system right now.
These heavy rains are "likely to continue for the next few days even if the center of Joaquin stays offshore," the National Weather Service said in an advisory.
The Weather Channel's senior digital meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said: "Regardless of Joaquin's movement, there will be strong northeasterly winds blowing for days on end across the region."
Here's the latest map of New Jersey, updated at 4:23 ET on Friday, October 2. The dark green patches are under a flash flood watch and the light green spots are under a coastal flood advisory.
Flooding is a major concern in low-lying areas of southern New Jersey. These are the same communities that were destroyed three years ago by Hurricane Sandy.
"This is the kind of flooding that can put seawater into homes and businesses, disrupting people's lives and livelihoods," Wiltgen added.
Here's the National Hurricane Center's 5-day forecast track for the storm. The orange circle is the current position of the storm.
Islands in the Bahamas are currently taking the brunt of the storm. People have been sharing photos and videos of flooded streets, wind-bent palm trees, and tides flowing over the roads.
The director of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency told the Associated Press that there were no immediate reports of deaths.
