Hurricane Rafael has strengthened into a Category 3 storm as it approaches the western coast of Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Rafael pulled away from Cuba Thursday morning after slamming into the island as a Category 3 hurricane and taking down its power grid. A significant shift in the storm’s forecast track means the threat to the US is dwindling,

Hurricane Rafael is barreling toward Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico toward the U.S. Is Mississippi still in the storm's path?