Cuba's energy grid collapses as Hurricane Rafael hits

STORY: Cuba's national power grid collapsed Wednesday as Hurricane Rafael tore through the island.

The state grid operator blamed strong winds for leaving the entire population of 10 million people without power – the second such incident in less than a month.

Cubans in the capital, Havana, sheltered from heavy gusts and rain, some battling the force of the wind.

“It's a little dangerous. I crossed the street and if I hadn't held onto this little piece here, it would have thrown me to the ground.”

The US National Hurricane Center warned of a “life-threatening storm surge with damaging hurricane force winds and flash flooding” across much of western Cuba.

The capital, with its 2 million inhabitants, is particularly at risk with its densely packed houses and poor infrastructure.

Schools, public transport and flights have been suspended until further notice.

Officials say they have evacuated more than 100 Canadian tourists from a popular beach destination.

The agricultural provinces that produce Cuba's prized tobacco for hand-rolled cigars are expected to take a near-direct hit from the hurricane.

And the timing couldn't be worse for the communist-ruled island.

Just last month, there was another total collapse of the national power grid, leaving the country without power for several days.

The country's oil-fired power plants are aging and finding it difficult to maintain operations.

Energy production has also been hit as oil imports from Venezuela, Russia and Mexico have fallen this year.

Forecasters expect Rafael to drift toward the western Gulf of Mexico later this week, but the route remains uncertain.