UNITED STATES - Hurricane Joaquin has now officially been upgraded to a Category 4 storm by the National Hurricane Center, and is still on track to potentially affect the eastern United States. 

"Hurricane Joaquin is now an extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane wreaking havoc in the central and eastern Bahamas tonight through Friday morning," explained ABC News Meteorologist Melissa Griffin. "It then turns north and begins a weakening trend." 

There’s still "a lot of uncertainty" about whether it will hit the East Coast, National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said in a news conference on Thursday as the warm waters in the Bahamas brought the storm up to a 130 mph Category 4. 

“We still don't know where Joaquin will go next,” Craig Fugate, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency also mentioned at yesterday's conference, saying the agency will not take any chances with the public’s safety. 

"One way or the other, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and on up will get between 5 and 10 inches of rain—even without a direct landfall," CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers said. "If we get a landfall, we get 15 inches of rain and winds of 80 mph. 

Even without direct landfall, Myers says, there will be significant flooding through the Carolinas, Virginia, and up the East Coast. Precautions are already underway in the region, with governors in the coastal states warning residents to be ready for wet storms, power outages, and road closures. So far, North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have declared states of emergencies for their states.

“The immediate threat is for severe flooding on Friday and Saturday, the second is tracking the path of Hurricane Joaquin as those forecasts become clearer over the next 24 to 72 hours,” Christie said in a statement. 

For more on the pressing weather event, stay tuned as AndNowUKnow gives you the latest.