Tropical Storm Rafael A New Threat to the Caribbean
The 18th named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Rafael is traversing the Caribbean Sea and poses a significant risk to the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and portions of the U.S.
History Tropical Storm Rafael & Early Development
Rafael originated September 18, 2023 as a tropical depression several hundred miles off the coast of Central America. It was able to strengthen into a tropical storm the next day due to good environment, above average ocean waters and lack of wind shear.
Impact on the Caribbean
Jamaica: Rafael dumped torrential rains on Jamaica triggering flooding and mudslides. Winds knocked out power and toppled trees.
Rafael, which was a hurricane as it approached the Cayman Islands. They faced hurricane force winds, torrential rain and storm surge that caused widespread damage to infrastructure and property.
Cuba : Rafael hit western Cuba as a hurricane, with damaging winds, torrential rain and coastal flooding. Power outages, damage to homes and businesses and substantial losses in the agricultural sector ensued.
Potential Impact on the US
Rafael lost strength as it passed over land in Cuba but was due to strengthen again over the hot waters of the Florida Straits. Outlook: Models indicated heavy rain and flooding possible across some areas of Florida and the southeast US.
Preparations and Response
Emergency Declarations – Countries involved declared states of emergency and triggered emergency plans and resources.
Evacuations: Mandatory evacuations were issued for storm surge and flooding areas.
Open shelters for evacuees from their homes
Electricity: Utility companies steeled for outages and mobilized crews for restoration as quickly as possible.
Lessons Learned
Lesson 4: Tropical Storm Rafael reminded us of the need for preparedness and timely action in the face of tropical cyclones. The rapid intensification of the storm demonstrated just how challenging it is to forecast each and every instance and why we need to do more to better warn of future storms. It also demonstrated the susceptibility of Caribbean islands and coastal regions to climate extremes.
End
Tropical Storm Rafael was a significant tropical cyclone that impacted part of the Caribbean. MORE LIKE THIS Humanitarian Exclusions: Why COVID-19 cannot Epidemic – Jafri Koshin and John E.R. Of course, the climate will only continue to deteriorate so we can expect an increasing number of tropical storms and at greater intensities.
