Cuba is reeling after Category 3 Hurricane Rafael devastated the island and knocked out the power grid

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba was reeling Thursday after a violent conflict Category 3 hurricane Across the island, hundreds of homes were destroyed, the country's power grid was crippled and other infrastructure was damaged.

No deaths were initially reported in Cuba and Hurricane Rafael had weakened to a Category 2 storm as it spun across the Gulf toward Mexico, where heavy rain was expected in the coming days.

Rafael crossed a western part of Cuba on Wednesday evening, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) west of Havana, where Jose Ignacio Dimas came home from his night shift as a security guard to find his apartment building in the city's historic center had collapsed.

“The entire front wall of the building collapsed,” Jose Ignacio Dimas said in a strained voice as he surveyed the damage early Thursday. Like many buildings in the capital, it was outdated and lacked maintenance.

According to Cuban authorities, more than 461 houses collapsed as a result of the hurricane. More than 283,000 people from across the country were evacuated from their homes, including 98,300 in Havana, it said.

The roads in the western part of the country were littered with power poles, wires and trees.

In Havana, residents picked up as much debris as they could, but huge trees and downed telephone lines lined the ground and blocked traffic. Concerned that food would spoil due to power outages, a group of residents opened an informal soup kitchen.

“If we don’t work together as neighbors, no one will,” said Ariel Calvo, who helped shovel away debris Thursday morning.

Lázaro Guerra, electricity director of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, said that power has been partially restored in the western region of the island and that power generation units are back in operation. But he warned that restoring power would proceed slowly as crews took safety precautions.

As of Thursday morning, the hurricane was about 260 miles (420 kilometers) west-northwest of Havana. Maximum sustained winds were 105 miles per hour (165 km/h), moving west-northwest at a speed of 9 miles per hour (15 km/h).

Earlier this week, Rafael swept past Jamaica and devastated the Cayman Islands, toppling trees and power lines and causing severe flooding in some areas.

Authorities in Jamaica are searching for a couple last seen in 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 power following the storm.

Rafael was expected to weaken further as it rotates over open water and heads toward northern Mexico, although the hurricane center warned that there was “above-average uncertainty” about the storm's future direction.

Meanwhile, many Cubans had to pick up the pieces from Wednesday evening. after a rocky few weeks in the Caribbean country. In October the island was hit by a double whammy. At first it was plagued island-wide Power outages lasting for daysa product of the island's energy crisis. Shortly afterwards, it was hit by a strong hurricane that hit the eastern part of the island, killing at least six people.

The disasters have fueled discontent already simmering in Cuba over the ongoing economic crisis, which has caused many to emigrate from Cuba.

Classes and public transportation were suspended on parts of the island and authorities canceled flights to and from Havana and Varadero. Thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a precaution.

Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season would likely be well above average, with 17 to 25 named storms. The forecast called for up to 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.