A dramatic video captured during Hurricane Rafael in Cuba shows floodlights at a baseball stadium being toppled by the late-season hurricane’s whipping winds. The video shows the floodlight pylon collapsing at Estadio 26 de Julio.
ARTEMISA, Cuba – Hurricane Rafael slammed into Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 storm, and new images are emerging that give a glimpse into the damage it caused when it swept across the island nation on a path into the Gulf of Mexico.
A video recorded in the city of Artemisa, southwest of Havana, shows Rafael’s relentless winds whipping through a baseball stadium as the hurricane barreled across the region.
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This photo shows stadium lights falling over inside a stadium in Cuba due to Hurricane Rafaels whipping winds on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
(Nelson Saez via Storyful / FOX Weather)
The video shows a palm tree being tested by the ferocious winds, and that’s when a large floodlight pylon starts to lean to one side. Then, almost in an instant, the floodlights fall and slam into the ground, kicking up dust and dirt that is quickly blown away by the relentless winds.
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People wade through a flooded street after the passage of Hurricane Rafel in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on November 7, 2024. Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it slammed through the cash-strapped island, which was still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous deadly storm. Rafael strengthened to a major Category 3 hurricane as it made landfall on the Caribbean island of 10 million people. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP) (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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TOPSHOT – People wade through a flooded street after the passage of Hurricane Rafel in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on November 7, 2024. Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it slammed through the cash-strapped island, which was still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous deadly storm. Rafael strengthened to a major Category 3 hurricane as it made landfall on the Caribbean island of 10 million people. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP) (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A man walks on a street during the pass of the Hurricane Rafael’s eye in Pueblo Candelaria, Artemisa Province, 65 km west of Havana, on November 6, 2024. Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it made landfall on the island still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous major storm, the national power company said. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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People walk on the streets during the pass of the Hurricane Rafael’s eye in Pueblo Candelaria, Artemisa Province, 65 km west of Havana, on November 6, 2024. Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it made landfall on the island still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous major storm, the national power company said. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Heavy rain is pictured after the landfall of Hurricane Rafael in Pueblo Candelaria, Artemisa Province, 65 km west of Havana, on November 6, 2024. Hurricane Rafael knocked out power to all of Cuba on Wednesday as it made landfall on the island still reeling from a recent blackout and a previous major storm, the national power company said. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Rescue workers walk on a darkened street due to a blackout after the pass of hurricane Rafael in Havana, on November 6, 2024. Hurricane Rafael left Cuba on Wednesday night, leaving the island in darkness with widespread power outages and destruction in some villages after hitting as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP) (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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People protect the windows of a restaurant with cardboard ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Rafael in Havana on November 5, 2024. Cuba was bracing for Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on the island as a hurricane on November 6, compounding the misery wrought by a massive blackout and Hurricane Oscar. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Fishermen protect their boats ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Rafael in Havana on November 5, 2024. Cuba was bracing for Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on the island as a hurricane on November 6, compounding the misery wrought by a massive blackout and Hurricane Oscar. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Workers protect a facility ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Rafael in Havana on November 5, 2024. Cuba was bracing for Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on the island as a hurricane on November 6, compounding the misery wrought by a massive blackout and Hurricane Oscar. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Fishermen remove their boats from the water ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Rafael in Havana on November 5, 2024. Cuba was bracing for Tropical Storm Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on the island as a hurricane on November 6, compounding the misery wrought by a massive blackout and Hurricane Oscar. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
Photos are also providing a look at the devastation caused as a result of Hurricane Rafael.
People are seen walking through flooding caused by the late-season storm’s relentless precipitation. Palm trees were knocked down, and many buildings received significant damage.
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New video shows the scope of damage left behind in Cuba after Hurricane Rafael lashed the region on Wednesday, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.
Power was also knocked out across the region after critical infrastructure took a hit from the storm.
Another video shows power lines lying across roads and massive transmission towers that were blown over by Rafael’s wrath.
This graphic shows information regarding Hurricane Rafael’s landfall in Cuba on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024.
(FOX Weather)
Cuba and parts of the western Caribbean no doubt took the brunt of the storm, which brought damaging, hurricane-force winds, flooding rain and a life-threatening storm surge.
A weather station in the Casablanca area of Havana reported a wind gust of 93 mph around the time of Rafael’s landfall.
Hurricane Rafael made landfall near Playa Majana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Its maximum sustained winds were 115 mph.