Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti on Wednesday, and it continued on to pass through the Bahamas as a weakened storm.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department had issued a formal Declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba, where U.S. government aid is rare.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledges "immediate humanitarian aid" to Cuba as State Department responds to effects of Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean.

Cuba's electrical grid collapsed Sunday for the fourth time in 48 hours, a major setback in the efforts to restore power to exhausted residents.

Cuba is bracing for Hurricane Melissa as it heads towards Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, threatening catastrophic damage at a time the government is already failing to provide the most basic services and thousands are sick because of the rise of mosquito-transmitted diseases and other illnesses linked to poor sanitary conditions.

Among the numerous sites devastated by Hurricane Melissa in eastern Cuba, one stands out for its profound symbolic value to Cubans both on the island

Law professor Jared Carter has led academic exchanges to Cuba for the last 15 years. He is concerned about the extra steps it might take for Vermonters to send support to Cuba with certain travel restrictions on the island country.

Parts of the Caribbean began surveying the damage caused by the deadly Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica as a powerful Category 5.