A tropical depression hit Cuba on Wednesday, with rain flooding roads and highways as the storm pushed north toward Florida. The depression gained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and was expected to strengthen, possibly reaching tropical storm force before reaching southeastern Florida by evening, according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. By Wednesday morning, the storm's center was about 375 kilometers southwest of Miami and it was moving north-northeast at 15 kph. Cuba's chief meteorologist, Jose Rubiera, said the storm passed over west-central islands overnight and its center had moved north of the islands by early morning. He said the wind associated with the storm was not a threat. Rain flooded roads and highways around the eastern city of Santiago, Cuba, but there were no reports of damage. In the west in Havana, there were no reports of rain or flooding. The depression was also felt Tuesday south of Cuba in the Cayman Islands, where meteorologists said over 10 centimeters of rain fell in just 12 hours, causing flooding.
