As of Thursday, Hurricane Rafael was swirling in the Gulf of Mexico, having just devastated Cuba with heavy rains that caused severe flooding and a widespread power outage.

The storm was located 180 miles west-northwest of Havana and 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, as reported in the National Hurricane Center’s 7 a.m. update. Rafael sustained winds of 105 mph, maintaining its Category 2 status after lowering from more intense levels while crossing Cuba.

The meteorologists have lifted storm advisories and watches, indicating that Rafael is likely to “wander in the southern-central Gulf of Mexico this weekend and into early next week,” staying well away from shorelines. They predict it will weaken and might even dissipate before approaching the western Gulf Coast.

Rafael struck Cuba late Wednesday afternoon as a Category 3 hurricane, unleashing heavy rains that led to flash flooding and triggered another countrywide blackout, worsening a situation that has left Cuba in darkness for more than two weeks following two preceding hurricanes.

Approximately 10 million people were left without electricity in Cuba on Thursday as officials struggled to restore power. Although state media reported that some areas had power restored, much of Havana remained without electricity.

As Rafael continues to advance into the Gulf, it is expected to still cause mudslides and additional flooding in Cuba’s mountainous regions, with forecasts of another 2 to 4 inches of rain. Some western parts of Cuba could receive up to a foot of rain before Rafael moves entirely away from the island.

Prior to Rafael’s landfall, many were evacuated from the eastern province of Guantanamo when previous storms had already saturated the ground and brought heavy rains, resulting in flooding. Hurricane Oscar, a Category 1 storm that struck last month, already caused six fatalities.

In preparation for Rafael, evacuations took place across western provinces and low-lying areas of Cuba. Government offices were shut down, and schools were closed. Jose Marti International Airport in Havana announced it would remain closed at least until late Thursday afternoon.

Will Rafael Impact the US Gulf Coast?

The latest predictions show that Rafael will continue moving westward in the upcoming days, although it remains uncertain how long it will keep its intensity and how far it will travel west.

“Once in the Gulf of Mexico, even slight variations in Rafael’s strength and the winds steering it could greatly influence its final path,” noted Bill Deger, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

According to the latest AccuWeather analysis, the chances of Rafael making landfall in the U.S. are minimal.

A non-tropical system from the south-central U.S. could also alter the hurricane’s course, prompting meteorologists to advise residents along the Gulf Coast to keep an eye on Rafael throughout the weekend and into the following week.

“It’s also a possibility that Rafael could be weakened by strong upper-level winds and dissipate in the Gulf without making landfall,” Deger added, referring to the expected weakening from cooler waters and wind shear.