People across the northern Caribbean were digging out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa​ on Thursday as deaths from the catastrophic storm climbed.

Taste of the Caribbean in Seattle's Central District plans to hold a fundraiser for those affected by the Category 5 storm that has killed dozens.

The UK government has chartered flights to help British nationals leave Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. As many as 8,000 Britons are understood to be on the Caribbean Island. The Foreign Office has urged them to register their presence to receive updates on the disaster response.

Hurricane Melissa— one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded—is now off Cuba’s eastern coast, after leaving a trail of destruction across the large island and its much smaller neighbor, Jamaica.

Insurance, bonds and savings will speed recovery from the monster hurricane, but the Caribbean nation will still need international aid.

After Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica and the Caribbean, the travel industry quickly responded to support recovery efforts.

Hurricane Melissa is now moving northeast from Cuba after hammering the island with powerful winds and rain. As the storm scrapes Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas with its destructive force, residents in low-lying and flood prone areas have been urged to evacuate ahead of a shelter-in-place order coming tonight.

From his Donna’s Caribbean Restaurant in Margate, Karl Gordon was hungry for updates from Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa made landfall at about 1 p.m. Tuesday in New Hope.