Haiti’s government said Tuesday that the death toll from Hurricane Melissa rose to 43, with 13 others still missing.

Crews were still trying to reach people in the country’s southwest region, where landslides and floodwaters devastated more than 30 communities.

At least 25 deaths occurred in the southwestern coastal town of Petit-Goâve, one of the hardest hit communities.

The Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, flooded nearly 12,000 homes and destroyed nearly 200 others after its outer bands battered Haiti last week. Numerous roads remain inaccessible.

The government warned there’s a drinking water shortage in several communities, and that it will soon distribute seeds and tools to farmers facing major agricultural losses.

More than 1,700 people remain in shelters.

Meanwhile, in nearby Jamaica, crews were trying to reach more than two dozen communities that remained cut off since Melissa made landfall on October 28.

The storm killed at least 32 people in Jamaica, with officials warning that the number would rise.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Tuesday that preliminary, conservative estimates suggest the hurricane caused at least $6 billion in damage.

“It is … a major hit to our economy,” he said. “We have never had a disaster of this magnitude.”

The US State Department said Tuesday it has committed $24 million in disaster relief funding for the Caribbean islands hit by Hurricane Melissa. It said $12 million has been earmarked for Jamaica, $8.5 million for Haiti, $3 million for Cuba and $500,000 for the Bahamas so far and that more assistance would be announced once assessments are completed.