Kentucky governor: More than 80 presumed dead, "entire towns flattened"

• That the tornadoes hit at night when people tend to have more difficulty receiving warnings likely played a role in causing so many fatalities.

What they're saying: "We have entire towns flattened," Beshear said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

• "There’s not a camera lens big enough to show the path of absolute destruction," he continued. "People have lost everything."

Catch up quick: More than two dozen tornadoes reportedly touched down across Kentucky and five other states: Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee.

• Radar imagery picked up tornado debris — pieces of homes and businesses —lofted to at least 30,000 feet by the extreme winds, and a weather station on the ground near Mayfield, Kentucky, recorded a wind gust of 107 mph at the time the tornado struck.

President Biden on Saturday issued an emergency declaration in Kentucky and ordered federal assistance to support recovery efforts after a tornado tore through the state killing at least 70 people.

• Biden spoke with Beshear several times Saturday, most recently in the evening to get an update on the latest damage assessments and search and rescue efforts.
• The president reaffirmed that the federal government will continue to offer assistance in whatever ways are needed.
• Beshear declared a state of emergency on Saturday and activated the Kentucky National Guard to assist with rescue efforts.

Go deeper: Fatalities, property destruction and power outages in six states slammed by tornadoes