Hurricane Joaquin Strengthens to Category 4; New Jersey and Virginia Make Emergency Preparation Ahead of Storm

News Staff : Oct 2, 2015
CBN News

"I'm not here to say Sandy II is coming. I have no way of knowing that. But what I want people to know is if it did, we're as prepared as you could be to deal with it." -Gov. Christie

[CBN News] Hurricane Joaquin reached Category 4 status Thursday as it continued its trek through the Bahamas towards the East Coast. So far, there've been no reports of casualties.

"All of the islands are faring fairly well at this time," The Miami Herald quoted Capt. Stephen Russell, the director of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency.

With forecasters predicting the storm will strengthen even more, millions of people on the East Coast are preparing for the worst.

Track Hurricane Joaquin here.

New Jersey and Virginia have already declared states of emergency.

"We know there is definitely going to be moderate and likely to be major flooding events in South Jersey Friday and Saturday with 5 to 6 inches of rainfall expected to come," Christie told reporters Thursday morning.

"I'm not here to say Sandy II is coming. I have no way of knowing that. But what I want people to know is if it did, we're as prepared as you could be to deal with it," he said.

Meanwhile, parts of the Northeast are already under water. In Portland, Maine, many roads look more like rivers. The National Weather Service reports the daily rainfall record for city has been broken.

"It's crazy," one Portland resident said. "I've never seen this much water in one place."

In New York, it hasn't been long since many people rebuilt from Superstorm Sandy. They're now preparing for flooding, power outages, and evacuations.

In the meantime, CBN's Operation Blessing is on standby, ready to provide assistance during and after the hurricane.

"We are already working with local churches to help them be prepared and exchanged emails for real time communication in both directions," Jody L. Gettys, vice president of U.S. Disaster Relief for Operation Blessing, said.

According to the The U.S. National Hurricane Center, the storm could near the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia on Sunday or Monday.

"Residents of the Carolinas north should be paying attention and monitoring the storm. There's no question," Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist with the center, advised. "If your hurricane plans got a little dusty because of the light hurricane season, now is a good time to update them."