Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Biden will travel to Kentucky on Wednesday to survey the state's tornado damage, the White House announced on Monday.
Driving the news: Tornados and storms ripped through western Kentucky and five other states Friday into Saturday, killing more than 60 people and leaving a trail of destruction.
Details: The president will travel to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for a storm briefing. He will also travel to Mayfield and Dawson Springs, two of the hardest-hit areas, to survey the damage.
- President Biden on Sunday declared a major disaster in Kentucky in response to the deadly tornadoes.
- The declaration will assist with responses such as grants for temporary housing and home repairs. Biden also ordered federal aid to supplement recovery efforts in areas of Kentucky "affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and tornadoes beginning on December 10, 2021, and continuing," according to the order.
What they're saying: "We’re going to get this done; we’re going to be there as long as it takes to help," Biden told reporters, adding that the federal government will stay in the state as long as it is needed.
- The president said that the "mental health" of the victims and "the uncertainty" worry him the most.
- “We can’t say it was with absolute certainty” that the tornadoes were because of climate change, but it “certainly is one of the worst disasters.”
Go deeper ...
- Kentucky tornados: At least 64 confirmed dead, dozens unaccounted for
- Tornado outbreak offers a grim climate warning
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.