14 DAY TRIAL // Last Friday, October 2, the International Space Station flew over the Atlantic Ocean, and so the astronauts aboard got to sneak a peek at hurricane Joaquin, then hovering near the Bahamas.
NASA space explorer Scot Kelly snapped a photo of the monster storm, which he shared on social media and which was also posted by the agency on its website.
“Early morning shot of hurricane #Joaquin from @space_station before reaching #Bahamas. Hope all is safe. #YearInSpace,” astronaut Scott Kelly captioned his photo of Joaquin on Twitter.
The third hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, Joaquin, started out as a tropical storm. It grew into a category 4 hurricane by October 1, its winds reaching a speed of 130 miles (210 kilometers) per hour.
Latest news says that, although remaining offshore, hurricane Joaquin has nonetheless brought heavy rains and flood conditions to the southeastern coast of the US.
South Carolina has so far been hit the hardest, and so it is now in a state of emergency. Authorities warn floods could also happen in nearby states, and that residents should be on the alert.
Specialists don't think hurricane Joaquin will ever come to make landfall. Rather, they expect the storm will remain in the Atlantic Ocean until it eventually weakens and disappears.
By the time this happens, however, the hurricane could bring heavy rains and floods to states ranging from South Carolina to Massachusetts, and impact 65 million people.
