People across the northern Caribbean are digging out from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa as deaths from the storm climbed.

The United States stands prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Cuba following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Melissa, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday.

Communities across the Caribbean are reeling in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which ripped through Jamaica, Cuba and Hispaniola, the island comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic, this week. While officials said that damage assessments remained underway to determine the full scope of the destruction,

Hurricane Melissa is slamming eastern Cuba on Wednesday morning, Oct. 29, after hammering Jamaica on Tuesday and causing widespread damage.

Cuban officials report no fatalities, but there has been extensive damage. Multiple Caribbean countries are reeling in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which has been traveling through the region for the past few days, bringing torrential rains, devastating winds, landslides and flash floods.