Hurricane Joaquin 2015: Category 4 storm possible; hurricane could make landfall in the East Coast

In Photo: Hurricane Rita peakWikimedia Commons

The U.S. National Hurricane Center announced that Joaquin is getting stronger as it turned into a major hurricane last Wednesday night, CNN reported.

The storm, already a Category 3 and on its way to Bahamas, is expected to further intensify and have a Category 4 status by late Thursday, Accuweather gathered.

The weather report also added that after it hits northeast of Bahamas by Thursday, the hurricane will head north and parallel to East Coast states by Friday and Saturday.

The storm will bring dangerous winds and heavy rains, causing flash floods to central Bahamas. Gusts of wind could power up between 75 and 100 miles per hour (mph) on some areas of the islands.

It is expected that Joaquin will bring devastation to Bahamian properties and residents by Thursday before it heads northbound.

The center of the hurricane spins 170 miles east of the center of the island. It has a maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, extending over 35 miles from the storm's eye, reports stated.

Furthermore, weather reports stated that it's highly likely Joaquin will steer towards the west and could make its landfall between North Carolina and south of New Jersey by Sunday.

If Joaquin makes its way to the northeastern part of North Carolina, weather conditions can be very horrible in Delmarva Peninsula, with heavy rains, coastal flooding and strong winds that can hit areas in Chesapeake Bay, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

According to the report form Accuweather, Virginia's governor Terry McAuliffe has already issued a state of emergency for the entire state last Wednesday.

Tracking Hurricane Joaquin's landfall can be difficult to predict given its complicated pattern. Residents along East Coast area are advised to watch out for further weather announcements starting now and all through the weekend.

CNN reported that the last time a hurricane made landfall in the eastern U.S. was the time of Hurrican Arthur, which landed in North Carolina in 2014. The arrival of Joaquin could potentially change that.