Before the storm barreled north over Cuba, at least seven people died across the Caribbean as the storm approached Jamaica. See the storm's impact on Cuba.

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.

Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane around 1 p.m. ET yesterday as the strongest hurricane in the island's history. Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared the country a disaster area, with St. Elizabeth Parish reported to be "underwater."

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category 2 storm, moved away from the Bahamas and toward Bermuda early Thursday after battering the Caribbean over the past few days