Joaquin 2015

Hurricane Joaquin is serving as some great ammo for Gov. Chris Christie, who took time out of his storm prep press conference to attack homeowners along the Jersey Shore who have refused to let the state build dunes on their property.

While he doesn’t expect “Sandy II” to hit us over the next few days, Gov. Christie wants residents to know he and his team are prepared for whatever Mother Nature has in store for the Garden State.

New Jersey Transit is getting ready for Hurricane Joaquin and its possible effects on the state and its equipment.

I think we learned a lot from Sandy: what to have in case of emergency, a route of evacuation and not to poo poo what the forecasters are predicting, but what I'm talking about here goes year round: local flooding.

The amount of Hurricane Joaquin prep information hitting you is almost as dense as the raindrops will be if you wind up standing in it. On the Ocean County Health Department web page, you can find a comprehensive guide to resources and tips to safeguard yourself and your loved ones.

This is normally one of the shore's busiest post-summer weekends, but Hurricane Joaquin's uncertain trajectory and intensity has forced reschedulings that promise to turn next weekend into Eventapalooza.

While Hurricane Joaquin's path is still uncertain, there's no need to panic here at the Jersey Shore. The best thing you can do is be smart, keep an eye on Meteorologist Dan Zarrow's storm updates, and be prepared for the worst case scenario, while hoping for the best. Here's some items you should have before the weekend:

Despite continuing uncertainty, the latest models and official forecasts from the National Hurricane Center show Hurricane Joaquin's track is trending eastward.

When gale-force winds and pummelling rains batter the shore, it's only natural to think, "Will my electricity stay on?". And, as many of us have learned the hard way, high-intensity weather events can also impact the flow of natural gas and water to our homes and businesses. The uncertainty during the outage can be nerve-wracking.

Gov. Christ Christie (R) holds a press conference at the Statehouse to address New Jersey's preparedness for Hurricane Joaquin.

Joaquin is still days away and there are indications that the worst weather we face is not from that storm but a system that will likely hit us on Friday. As a result several high school football games have already been moved and more could follow.

Even though Joaquin is still hundreds of miles away and despite continuing uncertainty in the exact forecast track of Joaquin, New Jersey will start to experience significant rain, wind, and surf impacts Friday through the weekend.