Before and after Hurricane Irma as seen from above

Newly released satellite images show several areas in the Caribbean and Florida before and after they were hit by Hurricane Irma, highlighting the destruction the storm brought across the region.

PHOTOS: BEFORE AND AFTER IRMA

With 25 percent of the homes in the Florida Keys feared destroyed, emergency workers Tuesday rushed to find Hurricane Irma's victims - dead or alive - and deliver food and water to the stricken island chain.

As crews labored to repair the lone highway connecting the Keys, residents of some of the islands closest to Florida's mainland were allowed to return and get their first look at the devastation.