These Photos of Hurricane Irma Showcase the Destruction of the Record-breaking Storm

Though Hurricane Irma has been officially downgraded to a tropical storm, the catastrophic hurricane has left a trail of destruction behind it.

The storm, which pummeled through the Caribbean as a category 5 hurricane before making its way into Florida and continuing on to several other U.S. cities, has been the strongest storm to exist in the Atlantic outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico (Hurricane Allen was the strongest in these regions), according to a recent study by Colorado State University.

The storm was also the first category 5 hurricane to hit the Atlantic since Matthew in 2016 and the first category 5 in the tropical Atlantic since 1989, the study found, sustaining winds of 185 miles per hour for as long as 37 hours. 

The record-breaking storm left millions of panicked residents having to evacuate or seek shelter as it continued along its path, with those affected now starting to return to their homes. 

Below, we take a look at the destruction the hurricane has left behind in the areas it hit, and the recovery that has begun taking place.