States On Alert As Hurricane Joaquin Eyes Coast

The governors of three states along the US East Coast have declared a state of emergency ahead of the potential landfall of Hurricane Joaquin early next week.

The strengthening storm, which bore down on the Bahamas on Thursday, is projected to turn north on a path toward the US coast by the weekend.

Forecasters are still gathering data to determine how Joaquin might affect coastal states - some of which are already battling flooding amid heavy rainfall in recent days.

Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the National Hurricane Center, said: "There's still a distinct possibility that (Joaquin) could make landfall somewhere in the US."

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered state officials to begin making preparations for potential "major flooding" should the storm strike.

The governor said he would consider ordering evacuations if necessary, but added it was too early to make that decision.

"We'll have greater degrees of certainty as the hours pass," he told a news conference on Thursday.

"But whether or not Joaquin is a direct issue for New Jersey by Monday, we know that there is definitely going to be moderate - and likely to be major - flooding events in South Jersey."

Governor Pat McCrory of North Carolina and Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe issued similar emergency orders on Thursday.

"We've had a fair amount of rain during the past week and the ground is saturated in many places," Mr McCrory said.

"The combination of wind gusts from various weather systems and any additional rain from Joaquin could lead to downed trees and power outages in many areas, not just the coast."

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), meanwhile, has increased its staffing and management assistance teams were preparing to deploy as needed, he said.

He added that Americans living in areas under potential threat of the storm should continue to monitor the latest developments.

As of Thursday afternoon local time, the National Hurricane Center had upgraded Joaquin to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 130mph (209kph) and hurricane force winds extending 45 miles (75km) from the eye, the centre said.

Forecasters predict the storm could continue to grow in intensity as it moves north up the Atlantic.

In the Bahamas, some islands could see storm surge raising sea levels 5-10ft (3m) above normal, with 10-15in (25-38cm) of rain falling, forecasters said.

The most severe flooding reported as of midday on Thursday was on Acklins island.

Captain Stephen Russell, the director of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency, said some of the roughly 565 people who live on the island were trapped in their homes.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties or major damage on the island chain.