An Aerial View of the Destruction Caused By Hurricane Michael

Thoughts and prayers go out to any and all that have been impacted by Hurricane Michael

Mexico Beach, Florida is seen from a helicopter Thursday morning, after it was battered by Hurricane Michael. AP
Hurricane Michael has left a wake of destruction after it made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

Among the hardest hit areas was the small seaside town of Mexico Beach, where entire rows of homes by the ocean were swept away, leaving only their concrete foundations behind.

As residents returned to their homes and businesses to survey the damage Thursday morning, photojournalists took to helicopters to document the damage from above. Here’s what they found:

Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida around noon local time on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds.

That made it the third-strongest hurricane in history to make landfall in the continental US.

Mexico Beach, Florida on Thursday. SevereStudios.com/AP

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the National Guard rescued about 20 people who decided to ride out the storm in Mexico Beach. The small town of 1,000 residents was under mandatory evacuation, but some stayed behind.

Sources: Business Insider, AP

After the storm, the US Coast Guard sent an aircraft to survey the damage near Apalachicola, Florida. More than 900,000 homes and businesses are without power in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson/REUTERS
Source: Reuters

The storm caused widespread damage to boats moored in the region, including this vessel that capsized.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson/REUTERS
Source: Reuters

This boat yard near Apalachicola looks mostly undamaged after the storm.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson/REUTERS
Source: Reuters

An industrial area near Apalachicola is seen on Thursday. Some of the roofs appear to been peeled back by the wind.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley J. Johnson/REUTERS
Source: Reuters

Michael has caused at least two deaths so far. A man in Tallahassee was killed by a falling tree, and an 11-year-old girl in Georgia died when the winds picked up a carport and dropped it on her home.

Mexico Beach, Florida on Thursday. SevereStudios.com/AP
Sources: AP, Business Insider

And Michael path of destruction isn’t over yet. While it’s been downgraded to a tropical storm, the storm is expected to drop up to seven inches of rain in the Carolinas and Virginia before pushing out to sea Thursday night.

Mexico Beach, Florida on Thursday. SevereStudios.com/AP
Sources: AP, Business Insider

 

Thoughts and prayers go out to all that have been impacted by this devastating Hurricane