Hurricane Rafael continued to lose steam in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday after striking Cuba as a Category 3 major hurricane one day earlier. As of 7 a.m., Rafael was still a Category 2

Hurricane Rafael is expected to turn toward the west and slow down in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said.

As the center of Rafael moved on to the Gulf, parts of western Cuba were experiencing "life-threatening storm surge" and flash flooding, the hurricane center said Wednesday evening. All the while, the island's entire population of 10 million was once again left in the dark,