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.

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.

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

Eastern Cuba braced on Monday (October 27) for Hurricane Melissa, as the Category 5 hurricane churned toward the island after passing over Jamaica, in what could be one of the strongest storms on record for the Caribbean island.