Category 2 Hurricane Rafael was moving into the Gulf of Mexico early Thursday. Image courtesy NOAA
Rafael was moving into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico early Thursday after making landfall Wednesday in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 4 a.m. EST Thursday update that the storm was located about 155 miles west-northwest of Havana and about 180 miles west-southwest off Key West in Florida. Advertisement
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and is moving northwest at 12 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
As for the storm’s possible threat to the U.S. mainland, NHC forecasters said Rafael is expected to track due west this week and will dissipate into a tropical storm late this weekend or Monday, somewhere in the middle of the Gulf, south of Louisiana.
A hurricane warning has been discontinued for Cuba, while a tropical storm warning was ended for the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge
Dry Tortugas remains under a tropical storm warning.
Forecasters said Caribbean islands should expect to be lashed with damaging hurricane-force winds, a dangerous storm surge and destructive waves for the next few hours. Advertisement
In parts of western Cuba, NHC says “life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds and flash-flooding” can be expected.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in parts of the lower and middle Florida Keys.
Earlier on Wednesday, the government of Cuba had discontinued its tropical storm warning for the Cuban provinces of Ciego de Avila and Sancti Spiritus.
According to the NHC, Rafael will undergo a turn toward the west later Thursday with this motion to continue through Saturday.
“On the forecast track, Rafael is expected to continue to move away from western Cuba over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico this morning. Rafael is then forecast to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico for the next few days,” the NHC said.
Rafael strengthen into a Category 3 storm before making landfall in western Cuba on Wednesday afternoon. It then weaken while traveling over the island, but maintained hurricane strength as it entered the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasters warn that Rafael will bring “heavy rain” across portions of western Caribbean — including Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and portions of Cuba — through early Thursday. Totals of between 3 and 6 inches are expected, with some areas to receive as much as 10 inches. Advertisement
Flash flooding and mudslides could occur, according to the NHC.
Storm surges could raise water levels by as much as 3 feet above normal tide levels in areas in the Cayman Island on Tuesday and as much as 9 feet along the southern coast of Cuba.
