See dramatic photos of Hurricane Ian's widespread damage across Florida

Floridians woke up to devastating scenes Thursday morning after Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S., caused widespread destruction across the state's west coast.

The storm, which made landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, flooded numerous buildings and streets, ripped off roofs, left people trapped in their homes and knocked out power to millions of residents. Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm early Thursday, but forecasters warned that the threat of "catastrophic" flooding would continue as the Ian moves east. It was expected to move across the Carolinas this weekend.

Authorities were still assessing the situation in Florida, but the following photos offer a glimpse of the damage.