Hurricane Rafael Track Shifts West: Latest FL Impacts

FLORIDA — After Hurricane Rafael ripped across Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, it’s expected to head west into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The major hurricane knocked out the country’s power grid, downed trees and damaged infrastructure.

As it moves into the Gulf, Rafael will likely have little, if any, impact on Florida, forecasters said.
Early Thursday morning, the storm made “its closest approach to the west Florida coast,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, wrote in a Facebook post. “Today it will turn away and head west. … It's possible that Rafael will never make landfall in the United States, despite making it into the Gulf.”

The storm poses a high rip current risk Thursday morning through Friday night for Pinellas, coastal Hillsborough, coastal Manatee, coastal Sarasota, coastal Charlotte and coastal Lee counties, the National Weather Service said.

"Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water," the NWS warned. "

The agency shared safety reminders:

• Swim near a lifeguard.
• If caught in a rip current, relax and float.
• Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline.
• If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.

Rafael will most likely stay far to the south, drifting west toward the Mexican gulf coast next week, the Weather Channel said. “There also remains a chance Rafael in a much weakened form, or its remnants, could get pulled along a cold front and enhance rain along the northern U.S. Gulf.”

The Florida Keys and parts of Southwest Florida could see minor coastal flooding Thursday, AccuWeather reported. And “because of Rafael's plunger effect on the water surface, rip currents will be strong and frequent on the beaches along the Gulf Coast through the weekend.”

Rafael will continue to bring heavy rain to western Cuba on Thursday with flash flooding and mudslides possible, the NHC said.

From there, it’s forecast to move slowly over the south-central Gulf of Mexico this weekend and early next week, according to the agency.

The hurricane is expected to weaken as it makes its way across the Gulf.

“As it moves west it will encounter strong wind shear through the weekend. All forecast models weaken the storm significantly by the end of the weekend and start of next week,” Phillips wrote.

This story included reporting from The Associated Press.