Updated Thursday, Oct. 1, 9:15 a.m. EDT:
Hurricane Joaquin was upgraded to a category 3 by late Wednesday after it had hit eastern Bahamas' central islands and it could get more intense as it passes through the U.S. east coast while following a path that could last till the weekend, according to Fox News.
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South Carolina officials reveal that there has been one reported casualty in the flooding in Spartanburg as the east coast prepares for the impending typhoon. The death happened early Thursday when numerous cars sunk in the flash floods, Spartanburg's county coroner, Rusty Clevenger, told local news media outlets, according to the Associated Press.
The victim's name has yet to be disclosed, pending notification of next of kin. It is also unknown exactly how the victim died.
All state governors on the east coast have already cautioned residents to brace for the dousing storms that could cause closed roads and power outages around the region as it continues to be drenched in by heavy rains.
The current rainstorms have also caused schools and universities to close down and people are being forced to stay in their homes.
Citizens living on the east coast are also bracing for Hurricane Joaquin, which formed in the Atlantic over the weekend and is now the 10th storm of the Atlantic season for 2015, HNGN previously reported.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced the impending storm on Monday, saying that it was centered 400 miles northeast of the central part of the Bahamas with 40 miles of sustained winds per hour.
By Wednesday, it had intensified to a category one hurricane, becoming the third hurricane in the Atlantic season this year.
