President of the United States Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Kentucky on Saturday, after the state was blasted by a series of tornadoes that claimed the lives of at least 70 people, Reuters reports.
The tornadoes destroyed a candle factory and a fire station in a small town in Kentucky and wrecked a nursing home in Missouri, leaving dead at least two workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, according to weather forecasts.
According to the White House, Biden has authorized federal help to bolster the reaction of state and local authorities.
When asked if he felt climate change contributed to the storms’ damage, Biden said he would encourage the Environmental Protection Agency among others to investigate the events.
Biden also stated that a relatively long challenge raised by the catastrophe for the states and the nation will be about tornado warning systems.
According to the White House, Biden talked with the governors of five of the seven affected states that were hit by the tornadoes – Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee – earlier on Saturday to offer condolences and a vow to promptly send relief.
FEMA is deploying disaster response staff, water, and other essential supplies to the seven devastated states, and Vice President Joe Biden has directed an influx of resources to areas with the highest need, freeing up other government resources and employees.
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