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(CNN) The devastation left by Hurricane Michael in several states is still coming into focus, with coastal Florida cities destroyed beyond recognition, and homes, businesses and agriculture torn or swamped from Georgia to Virginia.

More than 1 million customers were left without electricity, and emergency officials have no access to many towns. The US death toll has risen to at least 17 -- including five in Virginia and eight in Florida -- and it's expected to climb.

"I expect the fatality count to rise today and tomorrow as we get through the debris," Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long said Friday morning.

Michael, which smacked Florida's Panhandle as one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the United States, left Virginia's coast as a post-tropical low early Friday -- and its trail of destruction will take weeks to take into account.

Sen. Bill Nelson called the devastation left by Michael "the worst destruction that the Panhandle has seen for however long that I've been living. It's akin to Hurricane Andrew in 1992 where everything was leveled."

Aerial footage shows coastal cities in the Panhandle, like Mexico Beach , wiped out. Search teams used dogs as they combed the area for people killed or trapped in debris.

One death was reported in Mexico Beach -- that of an elderly man found alone, Mayor Al Cathey said. The man's name has not been released, but authorities said his body was found several hundred yards away from his home.

City manager Tanya Castro said Mexico Beach won't be up and running for 12 to 18 months.

Nelson said there are not enough resources -- food, shelter and water -- for those in Mexico Beach who stayed and for those residents returning. In Panama City, he said "there's going to be a period of time that it's difficult to get supplies in."

Dawn Vickers rode out the storm in Mexico Beach, but her house and vehicles were demolished. Without cell phone service or transportation, she has been taking shelter in one of the few condos left standing, invited by someone she met at what's left of a gas station.

"This has been the worst nightmare I've ever been through in my life," she told CNN on Friday.

A psychiatric hospital in Florida is isolated after downed trees blocked roads around Chattahoochee, and a tree caused a water line to break. The facility is running on power generators, and helicopters have delivered food and water, the state's Department of Children and Families said.

Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott tour a Lynn Haven, Florida, neighborhood that was affected by Hurricane Michael. Hide Caption 1 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Lisa Patrick is overcome with emotion as she visits the remains of her home in Mexico Beach, Florida, on Monday, October 15. Hide Caption 2 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction The President and first lady hand out bottles of water to people in Lynn Haven on October 15. Hide Caption 3 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction The Trumps tour damage in Lynn Haven. Hide Caption 4 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction President Trump flies over the devastation in Mexico Beach. Hide Caption 5 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Mexico Beach residents make their way across a washed-out road on Friday, October 12. Hide Caption 6 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction An aerial view shows the devastation in Mexico Beach on October 12. The small beach resort saw the brunt of Michael, authorities say. Hide Caption 7 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Dough Shelby looks out at the destruction from his house in Mexico Beach on October 12. Hide Caption 8 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Little remains of a burned home destroyed by the hurricane in Mexico Beach on October 12. Hide Caption 9 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Benny Hobson sits in his recliner on Thursday, October 11, after losing the front wall of his house in Panama City, Florida. Hide Caption 10 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Storm-damaged boats are piled up in Panama City on October 11. Hide Caption 11 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Elizabeth Hanson, right, and her daughter Emaly hug their neighbor Cindy Clark on October 11. The hurricane heavily damaged their homes in Mexico Beach. Hide Caption 12 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Collector cars are covered in debris in Panama City on October 11. Hide Caption 13 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Tom Bailey walks his bike past a home that was carried across a road and slammed up against a condo complex in Mexico Beach. Hide Caption 14 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Joyce Fox stands in front of her heavily damaged home in Panama City on October 11. Hide Caption 15 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A boat sits amid debris in Mexico Beach on October 11. Hide Caption 16 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Kylie Strampe holds her 4-month-old daughter, Lola, while surveying the damage in Callaway, Florida, on October 11. Hide Caption 17 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Trees snapped by Michael's winds are seen in Mexico Beach on October 11. Hide Caption 18 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Amanda Logsdon faces a heavy cleanup task at her Panama City house on October 11. Hide Caption 19 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Rescue personnel search Mexico Beach. Hide Caption 20 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A man walks through a damaged store in Springfield, Florida. Hide Caption 21 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction An aerial photo shows a destroyed boat in Mexico Beach on October 11. Hide Caption 22 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A tree sits on top of a Panama City mobile home. Almost all the residents of the mobile-home park rode out the storm. All homes were damaged except one. Hide Caption 23 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Kathy Coy stands among what is left of her home in Panama City. She said she was in the home when it was blown apart and is thankful to be alive. Hide Caption 24 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction The view from a Panama City hotel room that lost a wall in the storm. Hide Caption 25 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Firefighter Austin Schlarb performs a door-to-door search in Mexico Beach on October 11. Hide Caption 26 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Damaged buildings are seen in Panama City on October 11. Hide Caption 27 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Debris is scattered in Mexico Beach early on October 11. Hide Caption 28 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Wreckage is piled up in Mexico Beach, near where Michael made landfall. Hide Caption 29 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Debris burns in Mexico Beach on October 11. Hide Caption 30 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Haley Nelson inspects damage at her family properties in the Panama City area on Wednesday, October 10. Hide Caption 31 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Cars are tossed among the debris in Mexico Beach. Hide Caption 32 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Kaylee O'Brian cries inside her Panama City home after several trees fell on it on October 10. Hide Caption 33 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Floodwaters overwhelm vehicles in Panama City on Wednesday, October 10. Hide Caption 34 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A storm chaser climbs into his vehicle to retrieve equipment after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach on October 10. Hide Caption 35 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A helicopter circles a Panama City neighborhood in the storm's wake on October 10. Hide Caption 36 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A woman and her children wait near a destroyed gas station in Panama City on October 10. Hide Caption 37 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A McDonald's sign is mangled in Panama City on October 10. Hide Caption 38 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Boats are left damaged in a Panama City marina on October 10. Hide Caption 39 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction People comfort each other outside an apartment building in Panama City. Hide Caption 40 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction People make their way through a building's wreckage in Panama City on October 10. Hide Caption 41 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction The powerful hurricane left houses battered in Panama City Beach. Hide Caption 42 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Phlomena Telker stands on the remains of her covered porch in Panama City. Hide Caption 43 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Boats are damaged at the Port St. Joe Marina in the Florida Panhandle. Hide Caption 44 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Lenora Adams evacuates a motel with her dog as the hurricane comes ashore in Panacea, Florida, on October 10. Hide Caption 45 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Rick Tesk, left, helps a business owner rescue his dogs from a damaged business in Panama City. Hide Caption 46 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Wrecked boats sit near a pier in Panama City. Hide Caption 47 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A resident of St. Marks, Florida, pulls a cooler out of the floodwaters near his home. Hide Caption 48 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Pine trees litter a yard in Port St. Joe. Hide Caption 49 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Streets begin to flood as high tide approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10. Hide Caption 50 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Mike Lindsey stands in his Panama City antique shop after it was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 10. Hide Caption 51 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Trees lie on top of a home in Panama City. Hide Caption 52 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Bo Lynn's Market is flooded in St. Marks on October 10. Hide Caption 53 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A truck drives along a road in Alligator Point, Florida, that had been washed out by the storm on October 10. Hide Caption 54 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Waves hit a house in Alligator Point on October 10. Hide Caption 55 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction The eye of the storm, as seen from the International Space Station on October 10. Hide Caption 56 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A woman checks on her vehicle after a hotel canopy collapsed in Panama City Beach. Hide Caption 57 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Mitchell Pope tries to salvage what he can from his mobile home in St. Marks. Hide Caption 58 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction This boat ran aground at Florida's Quietwater Beach. Hide Caption 59 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Jayden Morgan, 11, evacuates his home as water starts to flood his neighborhood in St. Marks. Hide Caption 60 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction A person takes pictures of the surf and fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Hide Caption 61 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Emily Hindle lies on the floor at an evacuation shelter set up at a Panama City Beach high school on October 10. Hide Caption 62 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Kathy Eaton takes what she can from her Panama City Beach home as she tries to get out of the way of the storm on October 10. Hide Caption 63 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Justin Davis, left, and Brock Mclean board up a business in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, October 9. Hide Caption 64 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Krystal Day, left, leads a sandbag assembly line at the Old Port Cove restaurant in Ozello, Florida, on October 9. Hide Caption 65 of 66 Photos: In pictures: Hurricane Michael's trail of destruction Workers scramble to store boats at Shields Marina in St. Marks. Hide Caption 66 of 66

Key developments

• No electricity: At least 1.15 million customers in seven states are without power, including 383,000 in Virginia, 365,000 in North Carolina and 301,613 in Florida.

• 17 killed: Eight people have died in Florida, including three fatalities announced Friday in Jackson County, north of Apalachicola. One of those deaths was due to debris, authorities said, and circumstances of the other two deaths were not immediately known. Five people died in Virginia. Four of those drowned, and the fifth was a firefighter who died in a storm-related crash on Interstate 295 in Hanover County, officials said. Three people in North Carolina and a child in Georgia also died.

• Severe crop damage: Georgia officials are receiving reports of damage to pecan, cotton, vegetable and peanut crops. "For me the cotton crop is as bad as it gets. I was picking three bale cotton (this week); today it is gone," cotton farmer and state Rep. Clay Pirkle said. "Can't tell the difference between what I've picked and what I haven't."

• Poultry industry: Georgia's Department of Agriculture said it received reports that Georgia's Department of Agriculture said it received reports that 84 chicken houses -- estimated to hold more than 2 million chickens -- were destroyed in the storm.

• Public health emergency declared in Georgia: The move will help ensure those who rely on Medicare and Medicaid have access to the care they need, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said.

Mexico Beach was one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Michael.

Flooding in the Carolinas and Virginia

The rapid-moving rainfall from Michael triggered flash floods in parts of Virginia and the Carolinas, including areas threatened by swollen rivers during Hurricane Florence.

Hundreds of residents were rescued Thursday from cars, apartments and homes flooded by rushing water.

President Donald Trump tweeted his sympathy for people affected by the storm, saying, "People have no idea how hard Hurricane Michael has hit the great state of Georgia. I will be visiting both Florida and Georgia early next week. We are working very hard on every area and every state that was hit - we are with you!"

People have no idea how hard Hurricane Michael has hit the great state of Georgia. I will be visiting both Florida and Georgia early next week. We are working very hard on every area and every state that was hit - we are with you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018

In Virginia, the Roanoke River jumped its banks and flooded nearby homes and businesses. Cory Patirlo, who lives near the river, said the impact was unexpected. It was the first time he had nearly 2 feet of water in his home.

"It wasn't going to get this high, realistically. It never has," he told CNN affiliate WDBJ.

"I'm gonna be sleeping in my van, with my dogs."

Video that Trina Lockhart posted on Twitter showed drivers making their way cautiously though a flooded Roanoke street Thursday afternoon.

In the southern Virginia city of Danville, floodwaters turned the Grove Park neighborhood into a virtual lake Thursday, and firefighters checked on a nearly submerged car, photos taken by Jim Heffinger show.

The water receded within hours in some areas, and cleanup was underway Friday. Some people are expected to remain in shelters through the weekend as river levels go down.

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said first responders rescued nearly 100 people and evacuated many more this week in the face of flash flooding.

Fallen trees have left hundreds of primary and secondary roads closed, he said.

Florida residents return to broken homes

Thousands of residents in the Florida Panhandle are slowly returning to their homes and discovering that everything or almost everything they owned has been reduced to rubble.

Linda Clarke gasped repeatedly at the sight of her once new home in Shell Point Beach -- now severely damaged.

"But you know what ... it's just stuff, it's just stuff," she told her husband, Raoul, as they walked through the ruins. "It's just stuff we can replace."

There is not much left of what used to be the parish hall of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Panama City. Despite the destruction, the Rev. Luke Farabaugh and his congregation celebrated Mass on Thursday.

"Things, we can replace," Farabaugh said on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront." "We've seen a lot of signs of hope. ... I've been telling people ... to have hope.

"Hope is that even if the storm does come, even if I lose my car, my house, my family, even if I lose my life, blessed be God," he said. "Our reward isn't just in this life but in the life to come. So we're just trying to give people hope at this point."

The hurricane carried a home across a road and slammed it against a condo complex in Mexico Beach.

In Mexico Beach, Councilwoman Linda Albrecht learned through online news video that her home was gone.

"Everything in my house, it was almost like it was pushed back with a bulldozer," she said

"Mexico Beach needs your prayers," Albrecht said of the town of about 1,200 people. "It's not the Mexico Beach we know."

But there are signs of recovery.

Delta Airlines said it resumed all operations at airports impacted by Hurricane Michael, including Panama City Airport.

The City of Tallahassee reported that 90% of the traffic lights in the city were back online Friday and that power had been restored to 38,000 customers.

Several businesses in the city have reopened, including Walmart, Target and various gas stations.

On St. George Island, a 28-mile-long and 1-mile-wide island off the Panhandle, a few dozen people didn't evacuate and as the storm raged, those who stayed were surrounded by oncoming water. Security camera video shows water creating its own current in the streets of one neighborhood.

"There were a few points and times when I thought it could happen, that I could die," said Tiara Walker, who stayed in an apartment on the island. "There was a point in time where I thought the roof was going to fly away, so I flipped a couch over and just tried to prepare for the worst situation."

'A freak accident'

Sarah Radney saw trees falling down all around her grandparents' home when Hurricane Michael roared over Georgia. She was safe until a carport came crashing through the roof , killing her.

"It was just a freak accident, I never heard of anything like that," said her father, Roy Radney.

Sarah, 11, had just started the sixth grade and joined the drama club and the band. Her father says she loved playing the trumpet, acting and singing.

A man who died when a tree fell on a home near Greensboro, Florida, has been identified as Steven Sweet, 44, according to Lt. Anglie Hightower, the spokeswoman for the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office. CNN's Anderson Cooper said Friday on "AC360" that Sweet managed a local car dealership. His wife, Gayle Sweet, was with him when he died.

Here's what we know so far about some of the 17 and counting who did not survive Hurricane Michael https://t.co/wc4NyV6S73 pic.twitter.com/jwxTXFYF49 — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) October 13, 2018

"He's one of a kind, so kind he'll help anybody. Always giving money to people at the stop sign and stuff. He would help anybody," Gayle Sweet said of her husband.

Three others died in Gadsden County, Hightower said. Authorities did not discuss the circumstances of their deaths, but their bodies have been taken to the medical examiner's office to determine the cause of death.

In North Carolina, a 38-year-old man died when a large tree fell on his vehicle Thursday on US 64 east of Statesville, Iredell County Fire Marshal David Souther said.

Cooper also said Friday that firefighter Lt. Brad Clark, 43, was killed when a tractor trailer lost control on a rainy highway and hit his truck in Hanover County, Virginia. A colleague said he loved the military, loved his family and loved the fire service dearly.

Two people also were killed Thursday night in Marion, North Carolina, when their vehicle struck a tree that had fallen because of high winds, said Adrienne Jones, deputy director for the McDowell County Emergency Medical Services.

In Nottoway County, Virginia, state police and local authorities were searching for a missing motorist, said Jeffrey Stern, the director of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Agency. Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Gary Settle said crews recovered a vehicle but not the person known to be in it.

Hundreds of people have been rescued from the debris, and authorities fear the toll could climb higher as search-and-rescue efforts continue.

Elizabeth Hanson, right, and daughter Emaly hug their neighbor Cindy Clark in Mexico Beach.

Lack of resources

Sen. Nelson said Friday on "AC360" that Mexico Beach does not not have enough shelters, water or food.

Nelson said Panama City was "a city in the dark." A cavalry of utility trucks arrived Friday in Bay County, Florida, according to post from the Panama City Beach Government Facebook page.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved individual assistance families in for Jackson, Liberty, Calhoun and Gadsden counties Friday according to a press release from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office.

The approval expands the individual assistance program — the original major disaster declaration made individual assistance available in five Florida counties: Bay, Franklin, Gulf, Taylor, Wakulla.

Damage from Hurricane Michael in Marianna, Florida.

Jackson County Emergency Management Director Rodney Andreassen said the county is hoping to get two or three trailers worth of food and water from FEMA but had not yet received them.

A distribution center set up at a Walmart in Jackson County handed out food for a few hours Friday and will be open again Saturday. A Red Cross shelter with food and water has also been set up at Marianna High School

The impact of climate change on storms

Michael's strength may reflect the effect of climate change on storms. The planet has warmed significantly over the past several decades, causing changes in the environment.

Human-caused greenhouse gases in the atmosphere create an energy imbalance, with more than 90% of remaining heat trapped by the gases going into the oceans, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

While we might not get more storms in a warmer climate, most studies show storms will get stronger and produce more rain. Storm surge is worse now than it was 100 years ago, thanks to the rise in sea levels.

And unless the rate of greenhouse gas emissions changes, hurricanes are expected to intensify more rapidly in the coming decades, the scientific research group Climate Central said.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story gave the incorrect surname for storm victim Steven Sweet. It has been corrected.