New Jersey declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Joaquin

New Jersey has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Joaquin, which is barrelling toward the US East Coast.

Joaquin was upgraded to a major Category 4 storm on Thursday as it battered the Bahamas with winds of up to 120 mph.

Many parts of the eastern seaboard are experiencing heavy rains and winds associated with the storm system right now.

The heavy rains are "likely to continue for the next few days even if the center of Joaquin stays offshore," the National Weather Service said in an advisory.

The Weather Channel's senior digital meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said: "Regardless of Joaquin's movement, there will be strong northeasterly winds blowing for days on end across the region."

Here's the latest map of New Jersey, updated at 4:23 ET on Friday, Oct. 2. The dark green patches are under a flash flood watch and the light green spots are under a coastal flood advisory.

Flooding is a major concern in low-lying areas of southern New Jersey. "This is the kind of flooding that can put seawater into homes and businesses, disrupting people's lives and livelihoods," Wiltgen added.

Here's what the storm looked like on Thursday at 8:55 a.m. ET: