President Biden Surveys Tornado Damage In Kentucky

President Joe Biden traveled to Kentucky on Wednesday (December 15) to survey the damage caused by last weekend's tornado outbreak.

Biden spoke with local officials and vowed that the federal government would provide all the support they need as they recover from the catastrophic damage caused by the rare December tornadoes.

"I just want you to know – I'm driving the governor crazy calling him all the time – but there may be things available that would be helpful six weeks, six months from now that you're unaware of. And so we're – I've instructed my team to make you all aware of everything that is available from a federal level," Biden said. "Don't hesitate to ask for anything."

He described the devastation he saw as he flew over the city of Mayfield.

"As you fly over here, as I've done in the past, I've not seen this tornado, this much damage from a tornado. You know, you think, but for the grace of God, why was I not 100 yards outside that line? Which makes it so different," Biden said.

President Biden walked the streets and met with residents whose homes and businesses were wiped out by the tornadoes. He praised members of the community for coming together following the devastating storm.

"People just come out of nowhere to help as a community, and that's what it's supposed to be, that's what America's supposed to be. There's no red tornadoes or blue tornadoes, there's no red states or blue states when this stuff starts to happen. And I think, at least in my experience, it either brings people together or really knocks them apart and moving together here," he said.

Officials said that 74 people have died, including 12 children in Kentucky and at least 100 people are still unaccounted for. Overall, the storms, which spawned over 50 tornadoes across six states, left 88 people dead.