[PHOTO] Cuba Without Power After Passage of Hurricane Rafael

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday night after ripping across western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. 

It came with winds so strong they knocked out the entire country's electrical infrastructure.

Massive waves battered the coasts of Havana on Wednesday evening while severe gusts and rain blew through the city's historic core, leaving trees scattered on flooded streets.

Hurricane Rafael has left Cuba without power

Forecasters said Rafael may bring "life-threatening" storm surges, winds, and flash floods to western parts of the island after knocking out electricity and raining on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica the day before. 

The extent of the damage was not unknown as of Wednesday night. But here are some photographs to help you visualize the hurricane's impact on Cuba.

Debris from a building damaged by the passage of Hurricane Rafael 

A person prepares coffee in the dark

A man walks through the wind and rain brought by Hurricane Rafael

Residents wade through a flooded street

People drive along a road littered with fallen power lines

People charge their mobile phones