Hurricane Rafael makes landfall in Cuba [Video]

HAVANA –

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country’s power grid.

Forecasters warned the could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island.

The storm was located 45 miles (75 kilometres) south-southwest of Havana Wednesday. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and was moving northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is bad news for Cuba, which is struggling with devastating blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island. On Wednesday, the Cuban government issued an alarm for the incoming storm while crews in Havana worked to fortify buildings and clear scraps from seaside areas in anticipation of flooding.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s …