Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of up to 155 mph – just shy of the threshold to be considered a Category 5, the most intense designation.

In Mexico Beach and Panama Beach, Florida – communities felt the worst of the storm – entire neighbourhoods were levelled after the storm smashed through the area, leaving behind rubble and the occasional home or business that had somehow, improbably remained intact. But far inland from there, too, the storm topped walls and tore off roofs.

Search teams continue to pick their way through the ruins of Mexico Beach, a city of about 1,000 people. State officials said that by one count, 285 people in the area defied mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind. Whether any of them got out at some point was unclear.

State emergency officials said they have received thousands of calls asking about missing people, but confirmation of those missing has been hampered by a lack of mobile phone service.

Governor Rick Scott said state officials still “do not know enough” about the fate of those who stayed behind in the region.

“We are not completely done. We are still getting down there,” the governor added.