Hurricane Rafael Threatens Gulf of Mexico, Oil Output Cut

Hurricane Rafael has formed in the Caribbean Sea, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, and is expected to intensify as it moves over the Cayman Islands and western Cuba before entering the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center forecasts it will become a category 2 storm, bringing damaging winds, storm surges, and heavy rainfall, potentially causing flash floods and mudslides. A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Florida, with possible tornadoes. Rafael is the seventh Atlantic hurricane since late September, the most since 1870.