Hurricane Rafael becomes a Category 2 storm as it barrels toward Cuba

Hurricane Rafael strengthens to Category 2, threatening Cuba with floods, mudslides, and power outages, prompting evacuations and warnings.

Hurricane Rafael strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Wednesday (November 6, 2024) just hours before it was forecast to make landfall on Wednesday in western Cuba.

It was another stroke of bad news for Cuba, which has been struggling with blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.

The storm was located about 90 miles (140 kilometers) east-southeast of the Isle of Youth, and around 160 miles (260 kilometers) south-southeast of Havana. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph) and was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Forecasters warned that Rafael was expected to slam into Cuba on Wednesday (November 6) after dumping rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The center warned of floods, storm surges and mudslides.

The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential staff and American citizens, and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”

On Tuesday (November 5) morning, the Cuban Civil Defense called on Cubans to prepare as soon as possible, because when the storm makes landfall “it’s important to stay where you are.” The day before, authorities said they had issued an evacuation order for 37,000 people in far eastern Cuba, in the province of Guantanamo, due to bad weather.

A hurricane warning was in effect Tuesday for a portion of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.