INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
trees and damaging infrastructure.No fatalities were immediately reported.Hurricane Rafael crossed a western portion of Cuba on Wednesday
Dimas said in a tight voice as he scanned the damage early Thursday
Like many buildings in the capital, it was aging and lacked maintenance.Some 50,000 people took shelter in Havana, with thousands more doing
the same in regions south and just west of the capital since they lived in flood zones or in flimsy homes
generation units were powering back up
But he warned that restoring power would be slow-going as crews took safety precautions.As Rafael plowed across Cuba on Wednesday evening it
slowed to a Category 2 hurricane as it chugged into the Gulf of Mexico before heading toward Mexico, according to the National Hurricane
Center in Miami.Late Thursday morning, the hurricane was located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) west-northwest of Havana
It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (345 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
Earlier in the week, Rafael
brushed past Jamaica and battered the Cayman Islands, downing trees and power lines and unleashing heavy flooding in some areas.Authorities
in Jamaica are searching for a couple last seen inside a car that was swept away by floodwaters, police told Radio Jamaica News.Thousands of
customers in Jamaica and Little Cayman remained without power as crews worked to restore electricity after the storm.Rafael was expected to
weeks in the Caribbean nation
In October, the island was hit by a one-two punch
Shortly after, it was slapped by powerful hurricane that struck the eastern part of the island and killed at least six people.The disasters
have stoked discontent already simmering in Cuba amid an ongoing economic crisis, which has pushed many to migrate from Cuba.Classes and
public transport were suspended on parts of the island and authorities canceled flights in and out of Havana and Varadero
Thousands of people in the west of the island had been evacuated as a preventative measure.Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season was likely to be well above average, with between 17 and
The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms,
