Hurricane Michael has left a trail devastation in its wake after making landfall in Mexico Beach, Florida — roughly 20 miles southeast of Panama City in the state’s Panhandle area.

Michael is one of the strongest storms to hit the state in the past 80 years, and left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

Mexico Beach and Panama City have been left facing what Florida Governor Rick Scott called "unimaginable destruction".

The storm made landfall just north of Mexico Beach on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing with it 155 mph sustained winds that that fell just short of making Michael a Category 5 storm.

Photographs show that the region took a heavy hit from Hurricane Michael. In some photos, Jinks Middle School in Panama City was shown to have endured such harsh winds that a drone was able to fly straight into the school’s gymnasium after heavy winds pulled the roof back and collapsed walls.

People look on at a damaged store in Panama City (Getty)

People begin to clear up after of Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida (AP)

A damaged house in Panama City (Getty)

A collapsed boat housing sits after the arrival of Hurricane Michael in Panama City (EPA)

Vance Beu told the Associated Press that he was staying with his mother at an apartment complex with Hurricane Michael hit the region, and that the storm sounded like a “super high-pitched” roar that sounded as if “a jet engine was coming”.

“It was terrifying, honestly,” Mr Beu told that news service. “There was a lot of noise. We thought the windows were going to break at any time".

Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Show all 16 1 /16 Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged store in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Waves crash into houses on the shore at Alligator Point in Franklin County, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Haley Nelson of Panama City stands by her father's destroyed trailer home Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged store in downtown Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A woman and her children wait in Panama City, Florida AFP/Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A stores windows are shattered by Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged apartment building in Panama City, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A damaged liquor store in Panama City Beach, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A helicopter hovers over a damaged neighbourhood EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A man wades through a flooded street in Panama City, Florida EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A boathouse is damaged in the storm EPA Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Charles Swaney of Panama City sits in the office of a damaged motel in Panama City, Florida AFP/Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A market is flooded in St. Marks, Florida Getty Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US A high-rise apartment building is damaged in Panama City Beach, Florida Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Lenora Adams of Panacea, Florida evacuates a motel with her dog Reuters Hurricane Michael: record breaking storm hits the US Haley Nelson of Panama City stands by her father's destroyed trailer home Getty

A high-rise apartment in Panama City (Reuters)

(Reuters (Reuters)

Rubble from homes in Mexico Beach (Reuters)

As the day began on Thursday, emergency response crews were working to clear debris from roads and to initiate rescue operations where possible. Federal Emergency Management Administration (Fema) administrator Brock Long told “FOX & Friends” on Thursday that those workers were only abel to conduct a “limited” amount of search and rescue missions Wednesday before nightfall.

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