Hurricane Joaquin has strengthened to a Category 3 storm, and is now predicted to hit the East Coast sometime next week.

Reuters reports the hurricane is currently sustaining wind speeds up to 160 mph as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean, just pass the Bahamanian islands where it landed Wednesday.

The National U.S. Hurricane Center predicts it will grow to a Category 4 storm with winds up to 140 mph on Friday, though it may weaken to a tropical storm with 70 mph high winds as it reaches the East Coast on Tuesday.

Just where the hurricane will land is harder to determine. Various predictions have it landing anywhere from the Carolinas to Massachusetts. The most recent storm track puts the storm in the path of the New York metropolitan area.

The New York metro area took a heavy hit to its energy infrastructure when Hurricane Sandy touched down in 2012. The storm caused flooding that left close to a million residents without power for up to two weeks. New York electric company Con Edison learned from the disaster, and is in the process of a $2 billion plan to strengthen the city's infrastructure.

The Southeastern region of the U.S. is also in danger from Hurricane Joaquin, as the storm is likely to bring heavy tropical rain regardless if it touches down in the area or not. Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia may suffer from 10 to 20 inches of rain in a 72-hour period over the weekend. Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey are also likely to be drenched by the storm.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has declared a state of emergency, NBC News reports.

"I cannot stress enough the imperative for Virginians to focus on the rainstorms that are headed our way [Thursday] and Friday, well before Hurricane Joaquin could potentially impact Virginia," said McAuliffe. "The forecast of up to 10 inches of rain in areas across Virginia could result in floods, power outages and a serious threat to life and property."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also urged his state to be on alert.

"Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again -- and I am urging New Yorkers to take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," he said.