WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Monday that he planned to travel to Kentucky this week to survey the damage from the deadly tornadoes that tore through the state over the weekend, leaving dozens dead, towns destroyed and thousands without power.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that 64 people in the state were confirmed dead, ranging in age from five months to 86 years old, and 105 people were unaccounted for. Breshear, who said he also lost loved ones, said it was the deadliest storm the state had ever seen.
The series of unseasonal storms ripped through several states across the Midwest and South overnight on Friday, leveling a candle factory and entire communities in Kentucky while also hitting a nursing home in Arkansas and an Amazon distribution center in Illinois.
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Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Kentucky on Sunday and the federal government is providing aid to at least eight counties.
Thousands in the region have also been left without power, and spotty cell service in the area has left family members struggling to check in on loved ones.
While Kentucky — where Biden is expected to travel on Wednesday — was the hardest hit state, several people were also killed in Illinois, Tennessee and Arkansas. In Illinois, at least six people were confirmed dead after an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville was destroyed.
Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the storms before making prepared remarks Monday on electric vehicles.
“We are committed, the president and I and our administration, to helping you and helping to heal the wounds, which will probably be long lasting,” Harris said. “We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
