Cuba has been hit by a Category 3 hurricane that once again disrupted the national power grid. But the extent of the storm's damage was still uncertain on 07NOV.
CBS reports massive waves lashed Havana's shores on the evening of 06NOV as Hurricane Rafael roared across the island. Sharp winds and rain whipped through the city, leaving trees scattered across flooded roads, while much of the city remained dark and deserted.
On the plus side, flights appear to be operating fairly normally today out of Havana.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Rafael weakened to a Category 2 hurricane before entering the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Rafael was located about 155 miles west-northwest of Havana, Cuba, and 180 miles west of Key West, Florida, at 4 a.m. EST on 07NOV. The hurricane center reports Rafael is expected to march across the southern Gulf for the next few days. Experts aren't clear on where the storm might make landfall, but they don't expect it be a hurricane when it hits land.
As previously reported, Cubans are reeling after a tumultuous few weeks in the Caribbean nation.
CNBC says Cuban authorities struggled to return power to the island on Thursday morning after the storm knocked out the country`s electrical grid, leaving 10 million people in the dark.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, approximately two-thirds of flights into and out of Havana's Jose Marti International Airport were cancelled on 06NOV. The site was showing only limited cancellations on 07NOV, which is good news for the island nation's tourism economy and for Canadians and others flying into or out of Cuba.
Sunwing is offering customers travelling to Varadero through at least 07NOV the option to postpone, change destinations, or take a voucher good for one year. Air Canada and WestJet offer penalty-free flight changes to Varadero customers through 07NOV.
The Canadian government is urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Cayman Islands and western Cuba, which includes the regions of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas, and the Isle of Youth, due to Hurricane Rafael.
Hurricane Rafael has affected several cruise ships due to rough weather conditions.
