Hurricane Joaquin is still gaining strength – Thursday (1st October) – and breaking news released after this report was posted is that ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Joaquin Strengthens into Category 4 Hurricane.

Published 9 years ago, updated 5 years ago

As reported by The Weather Channel –

Hurricane Joaquin is still gaining strength as a Category 3 storm Thursday (1st October), and is now blasting the central Bahamas with hurricane-force winds, storm surge flooding, and torrential rain.

The first U.S. landfalling hurricane in 15 months may still occur later this weekend along with some parts of the East Coast, however, considerable uncertainty remains at this point.

The Latest

• Hurricane Joaquin’s center is located about 80 miles south-southeast of San Salvador in the central Bahamas.
• Maximum sustained winds are estimated at 125 mph, a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.
• Joaquin has undergone rapid intensification that may continue, bringing it to Category 4 intensity sometime Thursday.
• This system is moving slowly to the southwest and this is expected to continue through Thursday before turning north Friday into Saturday.
• Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for a large part of the Bahamas, where life-threatening conditions are expected in some areas.
• Joaquin may directly or indirectly affect the East Coast late this weekend or early next week, and a landfall is still possible.
• Moisture and/or energy associated with Joaquin could enhance rainfall along the cold front in the Northeast late this week. Regardless, the East Coast will see significant impacts from the larger scale weather pattern taking shape.

Blasting the Central Bahamas

Joaquin’s eyewall is hammering Samana Cays, the Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana in the central Bahamas, and is nearing Rum Cay, San Salvador and Long Island (Bahamas).

Flooding from storm surge and torrential rainfall has been documented on Long Island and the Acklins. A Weather Underground personal weather station at Pitts Town, Crooked Island, has reported winds up to 80 mph, so far.

With the Category 3 hurricane passing close to the islands at a relatively slow speed, and perhaps even intensifying to Category 4 status, a catastrophic situation may unfold there with a prolonged period of intense hurricane conditions.