The death toll from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica has tragically climbed to 45, with 15 individuals still unaccounted for.

Authorities anticipate the number of casualties to increase as efforts continue to access two towns that have been isolated since the powerful Category 5 hurricane struck western Jamaica on October 28.

To assist these communities, helicopters have been deployed to deliver essential food and supplies, according to Alvin Gayle, the director general of Jamaica’s emergency management office.

Gayle reported that the storm has forced 30,000 households to evacuate, with 1,100 individuals currently residing in 88 emergency shelters that remain operational.

UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted that providing shelter is a pressing issue, as the delivery of 40,000 tarpaulins has been hindered by roads that remain impassable due to damage and debris.

Nearly three dozen roadways remain blocked as crews continue to remove debris, Gayle said.

Officials noted that 50 per cent of customers have mobile service, and more than 70 per cent of customers now have water.

Meanwhile, crews have restored power to more than 60 per cent of customers.

“This is a solid milestone given the scale of destruction,” president of Jamaica’s power company, Hugh Grant, said.

He noted that power was restored on Tuesday to Montego Bay’s international airport.

Hurricane Melissa was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

It shredded Jamaica’s western region and then made landfall in eastern Cuba, where it destroyed homes and crops.

Haq said that more than 54,000 people in Cuba have been unable to return to their homes, including 7500 living in official shelters.

He noted that the number of affected health facilities has increased from 460 to more than 600, while the number of damaged homes has climbed from 60,000 to 90,000.

The storm also unleashed heavy flooding in south-western Haiti, where it was blamed for at least 43 deaths.

Petit Goâve was among the hardest hit communities in that region, where officials with the UN’s World Food Program were distributing food to more than 40,000 people.

Aid has been pouring into the three nations as people struggle to recover from the storm.

On Monday, the US government announced an additional $US10 million in funds for Jamaica and another $US2.5 million for Haiti, for a total of nearly $US37 million for the nations affected, including Cuba and the Bahamas.