Hurricane Joaquin: What You Need To Know

This article originally appeared on our sister publication’s site, www.westchestermagazine.com. Click here for the original story.

UPDATE (October 2, 11:20 a.m.):

Looks like Hurricane Joaquin will miss most of the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service. 

Still, heavy rain and flooding remain a concern for most of the East Coast. Flood advisories and warnings stretch from Florida to Connecticut, according to CNN. For the Hudson Valley, rain is expected to persist through Saturday, but could clear up by Sunday. 

Hurricane Joaquin is tracking toward the US and could make landfall early next week. It could be the strongest to hit the US in nearly ten years. It could also miss the US entirely. It’s not clear yet what the exact impact wil be in the Hudson Valley, but here’s what we know so far, along with what you can do to prepare:

•  The Category 4 storm is currently hammering the central Bahamas with hurricane-force winds, storm surge flooding, and torrential rain, according to The Weather Channel. It was updated from 3 to 4 Thursday afternoon.

•  The first US landfall could occur later this weekend, but there is “considerable uncertainty” about where the storm is headed.

•  Even if it doesn’t make landfall, “ strong onshore winds will create minor to moderate coastal flooding along the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states through the weekend,” according to the National Weather Service.

•  The same National Weather Service post notes that the heavy rains and gusty winds many portions of the eastern US are experiencing could continue for the next few days, regardless of whether Joaquin stays offshore. “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.”

•  Accuweather.com wrote an article comparing Joaquin’s potential to the impacts of Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Isabel.

•  Governor Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency in New Jersey ahead of the storm. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Twitter Thursday that state agencies have been told to prepare for “heavy rains and tropical storm conditions” and held a conference call on the state’s preparations:

•  The American Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency have guides on preparing for hurricanes.

•  Here’s an article by our sister publication, Westchester Magazine, about how to be prepared for any storm.

•  Here’s the local radar, from News 12.

•  Here’s Central Hudson’s power outages map.

•  And, should you be stuck inside with nothing to do, check out some of our favorite recipes.