Before-and-after photos show Hurricane Michael's catastrophic destruction in Florida

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Panama City resident Kathy Coy stands among the rubble after her home was destroyed by Hurricane Michael.

Hurricane Michael wreaked havoc in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, before touching down near Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday morning. The storm has since moved on to Georgia, and is expected to head northeast through the Carolinas and Virginia.

Even experts were surprised by how quickly the hurricane picked up speed. The storm began as a small tropical depression before escalating to a record-breaking Category 4 hurricane in just 72 hours.

Officials report that two people have died as a result of Hurricane Michael, while hundreds of thousands have been left without power.

Though the hurricane has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, it has already wreaked havoc in many Florida Panhandle neighborhoods.

Since the storm hit, residents of Panama City have seen their homes collapse, their roads flooded, and their storefront windows shattered. Officials say that four Florida hospitals have closed due to the storm, including two in Panama City, which have been forced to evacuate patients.

Take a look at the destruction captured by these before-and-after photos.