Hurricane Rafael Grows to Category 3 Storm in the Caribbean

Hurricane Rafael intensified quickly on Tuesday and Wednesday, eventually making landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 storm. Here is the latest on this storm and more information about whether the U.S. will see any of its impacts.

Latest on Hurricane Rafael

Rafael came ashore just east of Playa Majana in the Cuban provinces of Artemisa at about 4:15 pm ET Wednesday. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of about 115 mph when it made landfall. Cubans were bracing for torrential rainfall, strong winds, and the threat of mudslides and flash flooding.

The south-facing coastline of the island nation saw storm surge totals of 6 to 10 feet. The capital city of Havana reported winds of 70 mph during the peak of the storm activity.

The hurricane pushed across the island throughout the night Wednesday and back out into the Caribbean Sea. Here will it find warm ocean waters and low amounts of wind shear, supporting its continued lifespan.

The latest forecast models indicate that Rafael will head into the Gulf of Mexico where it will hover between the designation of a Category 1 and Category 2 storm. Rafael will eventually lose some of its power when it finds the cooler waters in this part of the basin. Increasing amounts of wind shear will also limit its ability to strengthen when it tracks into the Gulf.

The size of Rafael will be big enough to generate rough seas throughout a large part of the Gulf of Mexico. Building surf conditions will raise the threat of beach erosion along the Gulf Coast.

Rafael is now the fifth storm in the Atlantic basin to reach the status of a Category 3 or higher event. The storm joins Beryl, Helene, Kirk, and Milton on this list.

Potential Tracks of Rafael and Impacts to the U.S.