Hurricane Joaquin now has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph making it a major hurricane, but is likely near it’s peak in strength as it will decrease in wind speeds as the weekend goes on. The path of this system has been changing a lot over the past few days so the exact point of landfall is not known yet, but this will be something to watch for later today into tomorrow as the models continue to refine the track of this system. The models are pretty consistent on the strength of this storm, which at the time it reaches the North Carolina coastline it could have winds of 100-110 mph. The deciding factor with the wind is whether this system makes a direct impact on North Carolina or if it skirts the coast. The other main threats with this system will be flooding and storm surge. This system is going to bring rain totals anywhere from 8-15 inches to areas of the Carolina’s and Virginia. We have a full map of the predicted totals below. Now wth storm surge this system is kicking up 6-7 foot seas, which makes this a pretty good threat to the coast for erosion and damage to the coastline due to the high seas. The current track and models looks like North Carolina could start feeling the effects of this system on Saturday night and will last until it pushes off towards Virginia on Monday. We will have another full update today at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. so be sure to check back often. Also be sure to like us on Facebook for the most recent information and be sure to share this post using the social media buttons above. If you are in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia or Maryland now would be a good time to start preparing for this system.
