MIAMI — hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm, then began to diminish as it proceeded toward the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. However, Cuba continues to be pounded by devastating winds, torrential rain, and a potentially fatal storm surge.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Rafael made landfall at 4:15 p.m. ET in the Cuban province of Artemisa, just east of Playa Majana. The maximum sustained winds upon landfall were estimated to be 115 mph. Rafael weakened to a Category 2 storm as it tracked deeper toward western Cuba.
As Rafael wreaks havoc on the island nation, millions of people along the United States Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida are keeping a watch on the hurricane to see where it will go as it emerges in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday night.
Even though Rafael weakened slightly as it whirled across western Cuba, the National Hurricane Center predicts that it will remain a hurricane (74 mph or above) when it approaches the Gulf.
Rafael has been battering areas of the western Caribbean on its way to Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico, and the National Hurricane Center is afraid that torrential rains will cause flash flooding and mudslides in Cuba’s higher terrain.
Around the time Rafael made landfall, a meteorological station in Havana’s Casablanca district reported a wind gust of 93 mph.
Tropical storm conditions are forecast in the lower and middle Florida Keys until Wednesday night. Rafael’s outer bands might cause tornadoes in the Keys and southwestern Florida as it moves north overnight.
Heavy rain is anticipated in the western Caribbean until early Thursday, particularly in the Cayman Islands and western Cuba. The National Hurricane Center predicts 4-8 inches of rain in portions of Cuba, with higher amounts of up to 12 inches in higher terrain. An extra 2-4 inches may fall across the Cayman Islands.
Rainfall in the lower and middle Florida Keys is predicted to range from one to three inches. Forecasters are also concerned about the possibility of a life-threatening storm surge.
The National Hurricane Center reported a storm surge of 9-14 feet over normal high tide levels is possible in areas with onshore winds throughout Cuba’s southern coast within the Hurricane Warning area, including the Isle of Youth.
A storm surge of 1-3 feet is expected in the Dry Tortugas National Park area, with 1-2 feet projected in the lower Florida Keys.
Where is Hurricane Rafael?
According to the most recent NHC advisory, Rafael is approximately 55 miles west-northwest of Havana, Cuba, and is moving northwest at 13 mph.
Rafael’s maximum sustained winds are 105 mph, making it a Category 2 storm. A hurricane warning remains in effect over western Cuba, including Havana.
A Tropical Storm Warning is still in force for the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to the Channel 5 Bridge, as well as the Dry Tortugas. Central Cuba is also under a tropical storm warning.
What is the Forecast for Hurricane Rafael?
According to the National Hurricane Center, Rafael is predicted to continue moving northwest overnight before gradually turning toward the west or west-northwest in the Gulf of Mexico. Rafael is likely to emerge in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico overnight.
From there, computer forecast models dispute where Rafael is headed next.
“It is too soon to determine what, if any, impacts Rafael could bring to portions of the northern Gulf Coast,” according to the National Hurricane Center. “Residents in this area should regularly monitor updates to the forecast.”