Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in his state Saturday, after a tornado ripped through several towns, killing at least 70 people.
Mr. Beshear, a Democrat, requested an immediate federal emergency declaration to President Biden to help mitigate the damage.
“This has been one of the toughest nights in Kentucky’s history, with multiple counties impacted and a significant loss of life,” Mr. Beshear tweeted.
The governor reported power outages are widespread, and there are likely to be more fatalities.
“This tornado on the ground for 200-plus miles, everything in its wake is gone — homes, businesses, government buildings, just gone,” Mr. Beshear told CNN. “There are pieces of industrial facilities in trees. It’s hard to imagine that this is even possible.”
Mr. Beshear said the National Guard has been deployed at areas damaged by the storm.
Four tornadoes made their way across Kentucky on Friday night, destroying several small towns.
The governor requested the White House to deliver emergency generators, as well as a Power Assessment Team to help identify other gaps in needs and resources.
Mr. Biden was briefed on the damage assessment on Saturday regarding the tornado impact in seven states.
The president directed federal resources to be directed immediately to the areas suffering from the greatest damage from the storms.
“We’re working with governors to ensure they have what they need as the search for survivors and damage assessments continue,” Mr. Biden said via Twitter.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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