Hurricane Rafael is expected to become a powerful Category 3 storm before hitting Cuba

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hurricane Rafael moved toward Cuba on Wednesday and is forecast to make landfall in western Cuba as a major Category 3 hurricane that forecasters warned could produce “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash flooding.

Thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a precaution before Rafael was expected to hit Cuba on Wednesday, following rain on Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday.

Classes and public transport were suspended in parts of the island as authorities raised alarm about the weather in the west of the country. Workers secured buildings along Havana’s shoreline and cleared garbage in preparation for floods.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned, “Preparations to protect life and property must be completed quickly.”

Rafael, now classified as a Category 2 hurricane, was located about 60 miles (95 kilometers) east-southeast of Youth Island and about 130 miles (205 kilometers) south-southeast of Havana on Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds were 110 mph (175 km/h), moving northwest at 14 mph (22 km/h), according to the center.

Forecasters expected the storm to later weaken over Cuba and then emerge as a hurricane in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

Cubans are already struggling with power outages as they recover from another hurricane that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island two weeks ago.

The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon; offered departure flights to non-essential personnel and American citizens and advised others to “reconsider traveling to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”

On Tuesday morning, Cuban Civil Defense urged Cubans to prepare as soon as possible because once the storm makes landfall, “it is important to stay where you are.”

A hurricane warning was issued on Wednesday for parts of the Cayman Islands and the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and central Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge.

Tuesday’s storm knocked out power in parts of Jamaica and caused flooding and landslides. The Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement late Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power in some areas.

Meanwhile, crews in Little Cayman and Cayman Brac were expected to disperse early Wednesday to assess damage following a direct hit late Tuesday.

Power outages were reported in the Cayman Islands and schools remained closed on Wednesday.

“While conditions are improving in Grand Cayman, residents are advised to use extreme caution on roads and near coastlines as rough seas and ongoing flood risks may persist,” the government said in a statement. he said.

Forecasters warned that Rafael would bring heavy rains across the western Caribbean, which could lead to flooding and landslides in parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

Heavy rains are expected to spread north to Florida and nearby areas of the southeastern United States by the middle to late week. The Hurricane Center predicted storm surges in Florida could reach 1 to 3 feet in the Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. Several tornadoes were also expected in the Keys and southwest Florida on Wednesday.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that the 2024 hurricane season will likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 storms named. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which are hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

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Associated Press reporter Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.