By Jose Serrano (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Oct 01, 2015 10:23 AM EDT

After it is done ravaging Bahaman islands through Thursday, steadily-building Hurricane Joaquin has set its sights on hammering the U.S. East Coast.

Residents along the Atlantic, from the Carolinas up to New England, are bracing for the worst; mass flooding, pounding surf, and strong winds that have already exceeded 100 mph near Florida.

Should Joaquin track into northeastern North Carolina, conditions may get very nasty over the Delmarva Peninsula with significant rain, wind and coastal flooding westward to the Chesapeake Bay, including the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas," wrote AccuWeather.com meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "Conditions could approach that of Isabelle."

Flash flood warnings are already in effect in 11 states, including North Carolina where flooded streets have left people without means of travel. In Virginia, where Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued a state of emergency, over 4.39 inches of rain fell in Blacksburg on Tuesday, making it the wettest day in the small town's history.

None of this is directly attributed to Hurricane Joaquin, but it does give East Coast residence little in the way of preparation for the ensuing storm.

While experts disagree on whether the hurricane will hit land or stay offshore, most projections have it hovering around the mid-Atlantic region and south of New York City. That hasn't stopped Gov. Andrew Cuomo from taking precautions.

"Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again - and I am urging New Yorkers take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," Cuomo said in a statement urging NYC residents to prepare for the impending hurricane.

Rainfall is expected throughout the weekend and into early next week. the severity of ensuing flooding and winds will depend on Joaquin's strength, which meteorologists expect to reach Category 3.

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