President Miguel Díaz-Canel inspects the aftermath of a devastating storm system that has left Cuba's power grid in shambles.
According to NBC News, Hurricane Rafael, a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 120 mph, is moving westward across the Gulf of Mexico, marking only the third major November hurricane in the region in nearly four decades.
The National Hurricane Center reports that Rafael was located 585 miles east of the Rio Grande as of 4 a.m. ET, moving west at 9 mph. This powerful system has already demonstrated its destructive capabilities in Cuba, where the entire nation experienced a complete power outage. The storm's strength matches that of Hurricane Kate in 1985, making it a historically significant weather event for the late hurricane season.
The state-run power operator UNE confirmed a total collapse of the national power grid, affecting all 10 million residents. This marks the second complete blackout within a month, creating an increasingly dire situation for the island nation. Emergency management teams have successfully evacuated more than 283,000 people, with nearly 100,000 from Havana alone.
President Díaz-Canel has taken direct action in response to the crisis, personally visiting affected regions on Thursday. He observed repair efforts on six electricity towers that were destroyed by the hurricane's 115 mph winds. The widespread power outages continue to affect millions of residents across the country.
Local resident Mario de la Rosa Negrin described the challenging situation:
It is the second time that we have to live through all that has happened: the weather and the problems with the energy grid of the country. The hotel offered, in solidarity, the power from their power plants to the neighbors so that people could charge their mobile phones and their lamps.
Havana's 2 million residents, living in densely populated areas with aging infrastructure, face particular vulnerability to the storm's impact. The city's historical architecture and narrow streets have complicated evacuation efforts. Many residents have sought refuge in hotels equipped with generators, highlighting the severe strain on local resources.
The power outage has created significant challenges for basic services and communication. Emergency response teams are working to maintain essential operations while dealing with limited electrical capacity. The situation has forced many businesses and public services to operate on reduced schedules or close entirely.
Community solidarity has emerged as a crucial factor in the crisis response. Local hotels and businesses with independent power sources have become important community hubs. These establishments have opened their doors to residents seeking to charge devices and access basic services.
The storm's unusual timing and intensity have drawn significant attention from meteorologists. Rafael is only the sixth November hurricane recorded in the Gulf of Mexico and just the third to reach Category 2 or higher. The others were Hurricane Ida in 2009 and Hurricane Kate in 1985.
Rafael's tropical storm-force winds extend up to 115 miles from its center, creating a large impact zone. While some weakening is expected over the weekend, the system continues to pose significant risks to coastal areas. The combination of high winds and dangerous surf conditions threatens communities across the Gulf region.
Hurricane Rafael has emerged as a pivotal weather event for the 2024 hurricane season, marking the 17th named storm and bringing unprecedented challenges to the Caribbean region and Gulf Coast. The system's development into a Category 3 hurricane during November has broken typical seasonal patterns, causing widespread destruction in Cuba and threatening U.S. coastal communities.
As the storm continues its westward trajectory, meteorologists and emergency management teams maintain close surveillance of its path and intensity. While forecasters predict some weakening through the weekend, coastal communities remain on high alert for potential impacts, including dangerous surf conditions and tropical storm-force winds affecting a broad area of the Gulf region.
