Hurricane Joaquin Roars Up US East Coast

One person died Thursday as storms moved toward the East Coast of the United States from the Bahamas.

State officials up and down the coast warned residents to prepare. The rains could cause power outages and close roads. Hurricane Joaquin is set to wallop  -- hit hard the Bahamas and move toward the U.S. Rain is forecast across the region.

"Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again - and I am urging New Yorkers to take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

In South Carolina, heavy rains flooded and closed streets. Several cars were submerged in flash floods. One man was rescued Thursday morning after his vehicle was swept off the road. The man managed to hang on to a tree and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Another person died in the street flooding.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Joaquin was bearing down on the Bahamas, and forecasters said the storm is likely to strengthen as it makes its way toward the U.S.

The heaviest rain is expected in wide areas of North Carolina and Virginia, along with parts of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, according to a National Weather Service forecast map.

In North Carolina, Governor Pat McCrory said emergency management officials are preparing by collecting supplies and planning relief.

Some officials declared “a state of emergency” in their states, which allows emergency responders to prepare for the storms.

Officials were closely watching the progress of the hurricane, though its path was uncertain. So far, there's been little consensus among computer-prediction models for the hurricane.

I’m Marsha James.

Kathleen Struck adapted this story from the Associated Press. Marsha James was the editor.

Now it's your turn. What do you call a major storm in your region? A hurricane? A cyclone? Leave a comment below, or on our Facebook page.