Rafael reached a Category Three hurricane status about 24 hours after becoming a tropical storm in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon. Rafael dropped to a Category 2 intensity as it began moving into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday evening.

The United States, particularly Florida, should catch a break as the latest forecast from AccuWeather shows that Rafael won't make landfall here.

Hurricane Rafael is swirling over the Gulf of Mexico where it’s expected to break apart after plowing through Cuba, knocking out the country’s power grid and collapsing hundreds of homes.