In Cuba, hurricane Rafael made landfall yesterday as a powerful Category 3 storm, shortly after fierce winds knocked out the country’s power grid. Forecasters warned that Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island.  Prior to reaching Cuba, Rafael had already caused power outages and heavy rainfall in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.

The storm was located 65 kilometers south-southwest of Havana yesterday. According to the National Hurricane Center, Rafael had maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and was moving northwest at 22 kilometers per hour.

The Cuban government issued a warning yesterday, while emergency crews in Havana worked to reinforce buildings and clear debris from coastal areas in anticipation of flooding. Classes and public transportation were suspended in parts of the island, and authorities cancelled flights in and out of Havana and Varadero. Thousands of people in the western regions were evacuated as a precautionary measure.