President Biden Will Visit Western Kentucky Counties Devastated by the Tornado

On Wednesday, December 15th, President Joe Biden will pay at least his third visit to western Kentucky when he comes to survey damage from the December 10th tornado.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S PREVIOUS WESTERN KENTUCKY VISITS

In the mid-1990s, the president(then a senator) and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, visited Owensboro to attend his brother's wedding. Some twenty years, later (as vice president) he was in town for Senator Wendell Ford's funeral.

This week, the president returns to the Commonwealth to tour counties devastated by the Friday night tornado that stayed on the ground for more than 200 miles, 128 miles in Kentucky alone.

PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL SURVEY THE DAMAGE

Saturday, December 11th, in the immediate wake of the catastrophic storms, President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate relief efforts in 15 counties that were torn up by the tornado. In fact, if you qualify for FEMA assistance due to the storm, click here and learn how to apply.

According to a CNN report, Biden will attend a briefing at Fort Campbell before heading to Mayfield and Dawson Springs and will be maintaining contact with Governor Andy Beshear to make sure he and his team are not in the way of cleanup efforts. The president was quoted as saying, "We're gonna be there as long it takes to help."

REMEMBERING THE 1974 BRANDENBURG TORNADO

Friday night's twister brought to mind the deadly tornado outbreak on April 3rd, 1974. I was in second grade and we weren't affected here in Owensboro, but Meade County--where 31 lives were lost--was close enough. 28 of those who perished lived in Brandenburg. The National Weather Service estimates that THAT one reached F4 intensity around Irvington, Kentucky.

Multiple tornado relief efforts are currently underway.