Hurricane Rafael struck Cuba before turning west, knocking out the country’s power grid and plunging the country’s 10 million residents into darkness.
Hurricane Rafael intensified to a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Cuba’s Artemisa province and weakened to a Category 2 hurricane shortly after making landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
At 7 a.m. ET, the storm was currently located about 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and moving northwest at 9 mph.
Rafael will continue to move away from western Cuba on Thursday and will weaken over the central Gulf of Mexico.
“Based on forecasts, Rafael is expected to move into the southern Gulf of Mexico over the next few days,” the National Hurricane Center said.
Due to its path and rapid weakening, little impact is expected along the Gulf Coast, except for some rip current risk and minor coastal flooding.
There are no longer any coastal watches or warnings in effect, and previous tropical storm warnings for the central and lower Florida Keys have been canceled.
An additional 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected on Thursday, which would bring the total storm accumulation in western Cuba to 12 inches and lead to “areas of flash flooding and mudslides, especially on higher ground.”
According to Reuters, Cuba’s state-owned power grid operator UNE said that strong winds caused the country’s power system to collapse, and Cuban locals weathered the hurricane safely in the dark – this is at least the second such incident in Cuba in less than a month. event.
“Since about 3 p.m., we have been without power across the country and we have to use flashlights for lighting. We have gas, so we use gas to cook, thank God. Many people don’t have that option and have to use fuel to cook. . We have no power. I hope all power is restored after the storm.
High winds and heavy rain caused downed trees and power lines. According to the Associated Press, schools were closed due to Rafael’s influence, public transportation was suspended in parts of the island, and authorities canceled flights in and out of Havana and Varadero.
