Forecasters are reporting that the east coast is now spared from much of Category 4 Huricane Joaquin.
According to forecasters, the odds of the U.S. east coast seeing its first landfalling hurricane in 15 months are become faint as the forecast track continues to trend farther to the east.
Forecasters said, while the storm could pass close to the New England coast, it is becoming increasingly possible that Joaquin will pass even further east, moving out into the Atlantic Ocean.
According to an official forecast, a path for the center of Joaquin no longer includes the U.S. East Coast.
Forecasters said at around 2 a.m. EDT Friday, the eye of Hurricane Joaquin was centered about 15 miles east-southeast of Clarence Town, which is on Long Island in the Bahamas.
The storm has maximum sustained winds at around 130 mph, making the storm a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale forecasters said.
Hurricane warnings remain in effect for a large part of the Bahamas.
"Joaquin underwent rapid intensification from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in less than 36 hours, and may intensify a bit more on Friday", forecasters said.
Forecasters said the system is moving at a crawl in a westerly direction, but a turn toward the north is expected later Friday into Saturday.
Dangerous coastal and inland flooding is still expected for several states along the U.S. East Coast through the weekend despite the low likelihood of Joaquin making landfall according to published reports.
The National Hurricane Center says hurricane watches could be issued for parts of the East Coast Friday, should the storm be expected to pass close to the U.S. coastline.
Regardless, if you live on the East Coast, remain vigilant and monitor for forecast changes. Even if the storm stays hundreds of miles offshore, effects will still reach parts of the Eastern Seaboard forecasters said.
Info/Photo Credit: Weather.com