Hurricane Joaquin Slams Into The Bahamas

Hurricane Joaquin has slammed into the central Bahamas and forecasters have warned it could grow in strength as it careers towards the US East Coast.

The Category 4 storm brought with it torrential rain that flooded homes on Long Island in the Bahamas as residents on Eleuthera boarded up businesses.

"It's going to be a scary storm," said 42-year-old Jason Petty as huge clouds gathered in the distance off Eleuthera. "It looks nice now, but later on it's going to be terrible, just terrible."

On Eleuthera, Christian minister Dawn Taylor said she believed Eleuthera would withstand the storm because Bahamians learned how to cope with storms after Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Taylor said people on Eleuthera also are deeply religious and that their faith would carry them through.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has announced compulsory evacuation measures after some residents refused to leave their homes for temporary shelters.

"We do not know the impact of 130 miles an hour (winds) on those areas," he said. "We know it's a horrific kind of experience."

Bahamas resident Shandira Forbes said she had spoken to her mother on Acklins by phone.

"She was calling for help because the sea was coming into her house," Forbes said. "People's roofs were lifting up. No one knew (about the storm), so there was no preparedness, there was no meeting, there was nothing."

Islands such as San Salvador, Cat Island and Rum Cay were expected to be hit hardest before the storm is forecast to begin bearing north.

Joaquin had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said, calling it an "extremely dangerous" hurricane.

Residents in New York and Connecticut have also been told to remain on alert and begin making storm preparations.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Obama was receiving updates on the storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has increased its staffing and management assistance teams were preparing to deploy as needed.

Americans living in areas under potential threat have been advised to monitor the latest developments.

Sky's weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "It’s still a complex situation and things may change over the next 24 hours.

"Even without a direct hit from hurricane Joaquin, the eastern states of the USA can expect some heavy rain over the next few days, with flooding still a concern.

"A nor’easter is likely to develop, bringing potentially significant amounts of rainfall over the next 72 hours, with South Carolina most at risk.

"Looking further ahead in time, waves continue to come off West Africa which may develop into tropical storms or hurricanes, so we may be looking at a more active end to the Atlantic Hurricane season."