From hundreds of miles away, Hurricane Rafael has brought a deluge of rain to the Hilton Head Island area and across the Southeast. The cyclone plowed through Cuba as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night before spilling westbound into the Gulf of Mexico and weakening slightly.

Heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms are expected to cause flash flooding and damaging wind gusts in the St. Louis area, with rainfall totals ranging from 1-4 inches.

Hurricane Rafael left Cuba on Wednesday night, plunging much of the island into darkness due to a widespread blackout and causing significant damage in several towns. The storm hit with great force as a Category 3 hurricane.