President Joe Biden traveled to Kentucky on Wednesday to survey wreckage left in the wake of the tornadoes that wrought havoc in six states last weekend.
The death toll from the devastating tornado outbreak stands at 89 across Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, including 13 children.
Seventy-five people have been confirmed dead in Kentucky alone after a massive twister roared across the landscape for at least 200 miles. Bowling Green sustained some of the worst damage, with 17 fatalities confirmed so far. Eleven of those - including seven children - were reported on a single street.
Governor Andy Beshear has said the death toll will “undoubtedly” rise as more than 100 people remain missing.
After touring the hard-hit towns of Mayfield and Dawson Springs, Mr Biden announced the federal government will cover 100 per cent of emergency costs for 30 days. “It’s incredible how y’all step up,” he told survivors. “I’m going to make sure the federal government steps up.”
It comes as some of the thousands of Kentuckians who lost their homes in the storms raised alarm about a shortage of temporary housing across the state, with one lamenting: “We need places to go.”
