A multi-barbed attack bolstered with tornado-loaded thunderstorms will sweep the US as coastal communities brace for Hurricane Rafael. Battling air masses will trigger violent outbursts across central and southern regions as a cold plume from the north crashes into the mild south. The US National Weather Service has issued warnings across the country for gales, flash floods, and storms. Meanwhile, newly formed Hurricane Rafael is barreling towards the Caribbean with US landfall expected at the end of the week. The storm was last night upgraded from a tropical storm to a full-blown hurricane an…