Even without a landfall in Florida, the state is expected to feel some impacts from Rafael, starting as early as today.

ToplineHurricane Rafael strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday as the storm is expected to make landfall in western Cuba, which faces “life-threatening” storm surges and flash floods before likely impacting the Florida Keys and other states later this week,

The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Rafael will grow into a major Category 3 storm Wednesday before it strikes Cuba and moves into the Gulf of Mexico, while the Florida Keys remain under a tropical storm warning.