Why forecasters can't predict Hurricane Rafael's path

A Category 3 hurricane made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as the 17th named storm of the season - but its path has stumped forecasters. A spaghetti model showed that Rafael has six potential paths to the US, but experts say that none of these are as likely as the storm tracking west toward Mexico AccuWeather meteorologists, however, said that it's still 'too early to give the all-clear on tropical impacts along the Gulf Coast' Hurricane Rafael left ten million people in the dark as the storm tore through the island, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that reached 105 mph and knocked out the entire country's power grid. On Thursday, the storm pulled away from Cuba entered the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, leaving behind damaged homes, uprooted trees and toppling telephone poles. Homes around western Cuba were destroyed after Hurricane Rafael - a Category 3 storm - made landfall in the country on Wednesday Torrential rain hit Cuba as well as winds that reached up to 105 mph and knocked out the entire country's power grid Rafael pulled away from Cuba on Thursday entered the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, leaving behind damaged homes, uprooted trees and toppling telephone poles Although there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the National Hurricane Center says swells generated by Rafael are expected to spread across the Gulf of Mexico, likely creating life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. The National Hurricane Center said there's 'above average uncertainty in the future track of Rafael' Thousands of people in the west areas of the island were evacuated.