Hurricane Ivan may have quickly deteriorated into a tropical storm after slamming into the southern United States but that is of little comfort to those who have lost everything. Ivan is being blamed for up to 20 deaths, most of them in Florida. Houses were ripped off their foundations and bridges were sliced in half. Millions of people have lost power. An eight-year-old girl was killed when a tree fell on her home. Four people were reported dead after being evacuated from their storm-threatened homes. As Ivan moves inland, a disaster zone has been declared in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, paving the way for federal emergency aid. The unwelcome visitor had already killed 69 people in a 10-day trek through the Caribbean. Now the American people are on the receiving end of one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. Ivan is the third hurricane to hit Florida in just over a month. Emergency officials are now casting a wary eye at Tropical Storm Jeanne, which was dousing the Dominican Republic and looked likely to aim for the east coast of the United States. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Severe damage to buildings is shown in Pensacola Beach, Florida after Hurricane Ivan swept through the area, September 16, 2004. (REUTERS)