Hurricane Rafael leaves Cuba devastated, moves toward Mexico

HAVANA – Cuba was left devastated Thursday after Category 3 Hurricane Rafael tore across the island, destroying homes, and infrastructure and knocking out the country’s power grid.

No fatalities were reported, but the hurricane’s impact exacerbated an already unstable economic crisis that has prompted many Cubans to leave the island over the last three years.

According to Cuban authorities, more than 461 homes collapsed during the storm, and over 283,000 people across the country were evacuated, including approximately 98,300 residents of Havana.

Rafael was located about 260 miles west-northwest of Havana on Thursday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and moving west-northwest at nine mph. By Thursday afternoon, Hurricane Rafael had weakened to a Category 2 storm as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico toward Mexico, where heavy rains were forecast for the coming days.

By Friday, the Cuban government reported that power had been restored to approximately 143,000 homes in Havana, though many residents remained without electricity. Utility companies within Cuba are continuing to work to restore power and repair damage across the island.

The storm has added strain to Cuba’s ongoing challenges, forcing the suspension of classes and public transport in parts of the island. Flights in and out of Havana and Varadero were canceled, and thousands in western Cuba were evacuated as a precaution.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Rafael remains a powerful, compact hurricane over the central Gulf of Mexico, producing rough seas with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

It was located approximately 230 miles north-northeast of Progreso, Mexico, as of Friday morning. As the storm continues to move towards Mexico, forecasters warn it could bring “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” along parts of Mexico’s coast.

Rafael marks the 17th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had forecasted an above-average season, with 17 to 25 named storms expected, including up to 13 hurricanes, four of them categorized as major hurricanes.

An average season typically yields 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, three of which are major.

Mexican authorities have issued warnings across the coast as they brace for the storm’s impact. Rafael is expected to bring heavy rains, flooding and strong winds to coastal areas over the weekend, with residents urged to prepare for potentially hazardous weather conditions. This story is ongoing.

Gavin Rollman is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email gmr5526@psu.edu.