Once a powerful Category 3 hurricane, Rafael has significantly weakened and downgraded to a tropical depression as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. See the latest:

TRACKING TROPICAL STORM RAFAEL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO Rafael reached major hurricane status about 24 hours after becoming a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon. Rafael lost intensity when moving into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday after impacting Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane.

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday and continues to move toward the northwest Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The National Hurricane Center said at 4:15 p.