HAVANA.- Tropical Storm Rafael intensified on Wednesday to a category 2 hurricane heading west of Cuba, where preparations were increased, classes and transportation were suspended, while the Civil Defense decreed an alarm.
It’s another blow for Cuba, which is dealing with blackouts as it deals with the aftermath of another hurricane that hit two weeks ago and left at least eight dead in the eastern part of the island.
The Civil Defense of Cuba decreed a cyclonic alarm for this Wednesday due to the imminent impact of Hurricane Rafael, converted into an enormous mass of rain and winds that will hit the west of the island.
In the capital and several provinces, public transportation and classes, as well as many work activities, were suspended. Crews of employees collected garbage and other obstructive materials from Havana’s Malecon and several low-lying areas, given the forecast of floods; while securing roofs, windows, boats and all kinds of property that could be affected.
The authorities also canceled flights in the main air terminals such as Havana and Varadero.
Thousands of people were preventively evacuated in the western towns of Pinar del Río, Isla de la Juventud, Mayabeque and Havana, authorities reported to local media.
Rafael will arrive in Cuba in complex circumstances: a trough that brought a lot of water to the east, especially to Guantánamo, where a previous cyclone, Oscar, already made landfall on October 20. The toll it left was eight dead and more than 150,000 people affected, as well as damage to roads, bridges and homes. It also damaged coffee crops, one of the most important in the area.
With Oscar, the municipalities of Baracoa, Imías, Maisí and San Antonio Sur were the most affected.
The imminent arrival of Rafael adds to the weakness of the national energy system that collapsed in the middle of last month, leaving a historic blackout from end to end of the island for several days and a severe economic crisis with fuel shortages, lack of water and inflation.
According to the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, Rafael will cause sustained winds of up to 65 kilometers per hour in the morning, which will rise to 110 kilometers per hour, and higher gusts in the afternoon, as the cyclone gets closer to the island to cross it, before heading north.
Forecasters predict that Rafael will hit Cuba on Wednesday after causing rain in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. The NHC warned of flooding and landslides.
The US State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday, making flights available for its non-essential personnel and US citizens to leave the island. He also recommended “reconsidering traveling to Cuba due to the possible impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”
Meanwhile, Cuba’s Civil Protection agency sent a message on social media to the population on Tuesday to prepare as soon as possible, highlighting the importance of remaining in a fixed place once the storm makes landfall. On Monday, authorities said they had issued an evacuation order for 37,000 people in Guantanamo province, Cuba’s far east, due to bad weather.
Leave your mark in Jamaica
Rafael knocked out power to Jamaica on Tuesday, causing flooding and landslides.
The Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement Tuesday night that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power in some areas.
Forecasts also indicate heavy rain that would extend northward into Florida and areas near the southeastern United States for the rest of the week.
The hurricane center forecast storm surges in Florida that could reach 1 to 3 feet (30 centimeters to one meter) in the Dry Tortugas and 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) in the lower Florida Keys. Additionally, some tornadoes are expected to spawn on Wednesday over the Keys and the southwestern tip of the Florida mainland.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast that the 2024 hurricane season would likely be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast indicated the possibility of up to 13 hurricanes and four hurricanes of Category 3 or greater.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three of Category 3 or greater.
