While Hurricane Jose spared the Caribbean, which was ravaged this month by Hurricane Irma, it is being followed by Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on the island of Dominica last night and is expected to pummel Puerto Rico tomorrow.

As Hurricane Jose nears, we had a few questions about hurricanes and how they might affect New York City.

Why is it so hard to predict where a hurricane will travel?

It all depends on the data available, said Brian Ciemnecki, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. The National Hurricane Center and the Weather Service examine data like relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and wind direction. Sometimes the data align and show a similar trajectory, he said, but sometimes they don’t.

“If you think about it, a difference of 40 miles is not a big deal on global scale,” Mr. Ciemnecki said, “but on a local scale it is a big deal. It could mean millions of more people under the gun for weather.”

What areas of New York City are more prone to flooding?

Typically it’s the low-lying and coastal areas, said Nancy Silvestri, press secretary for New York City Emergency Management Department. Particular areas that have a history of flooding, or are closely watched by the department, include Broad Channel, much of the Rockaway Peninsula, Old Howard Beach and Hamilton Beach in Queens; Great Kills, Oakwood Beach, New Dorp, and Princess Bay in Staten Island; and Gerritsen Beach and Canarsie in Brooklyn.