Joaquin, Rex Block to Bring Heavy Floods

The “extremely dangerous” Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin may not make landfall on U.S. soil this weekend, but the East Coast is still bracing for dangerous coastal and inland flooding from the severe storm, according to the Weather Channel. Whether or not Joaquin hits the U.S., the hurricane and a weather pattern known as “Rex Block,” or when a high-pressure front is above a low-pressure front, could bring “potentially unprecedented rainfall and life-threatening flooding” to the coast. Forecasters predict heavy rains from Washington, D.C. to Charleston, South Carolina, where residents could see more than 10 inches of rain by Sunday. Flash-flood warnings have been issued for Maryland, most of Virginia, the Carolinas, northeastern Georgia, and eastern Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.