Hurricane Rafael had regained some strength and organization by Thursday afternoon as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico after crossing Cuba and weaking the day before, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. "The improved structure of ...

As the center of Rafael moved on to the Gulf, parts of western Cuba were experiencing "life-threatening storm surge" and flash flooding, the hurricane center said Wednesday evening. All the while, the island's entire population of 10 million was once again left in the dark,

Hurricane Rafael is still a category 2 storm but a little stronger with with winds of 105 mph. It made landfall in Cuba as a category 3 storm Wednesday afternoon around 3:15 pm CT. It's forecast to remain a category 2 through Friday morning before weakening and moving west through the Gulf.