It is anticipated that President Joe Biden and the first lady will join Governor Andy Beshear and his wife, Britainy, when they visit with families and observe the devastation caused by storms that have triggered the greatest flooding in the history of Kentucky.
Since the flood that occurred a month ago, which produced 8 to 10 1/2 inches of rain in under 48 hours, at least 37 individuals have lost their lives. Flooding is still a potential hazard, according to the National Weather Service, which has issued a watch for more thunderstorms through Thursday.
The President will be making his second trip to the state on Monday. His first trip there was in December, just after a series of tornadoes ripped through Kentucky, taking the lives of 77 people and leaving a path of damage in their wake.
“I really wish I could tell you why it seems like we’re always being struck here in Kentucky, “Beshear said this not too long ago. “I wish I could explain you why communities with people who may not have much keep being attacked and losing everything, but I can’t. I am unable to explain the reason behind it; but, I am aware of the actions that we do in reaction to it. And the answer to that question is all that we can. These are the members of our people. Let’s make it a point to assist them in their time of need.
As a result of Biden’s efforts, the scope of federal support for disaster relief has been increased to include the state of Kentucky. This ensures that the federal government will pay the whole cost of debris clearance and other emergency measures.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the press secretary for the White House, said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has contributed more than $3.1 million in relief funding and that hundreds of rescue professionals have been sent to assist.
The floods happened barely one month after Beshear visited Mayfield to commemorate the construction of the first homes to be totally erected in the town since a tornado almost wiped it out. Mayfield was almost completely destroyed by the tornado. That day, the governor paid a visit to three families and presented them with the keys to their newly constructed houses. In his comments, he referred back to the visit he had made immediately after the ceremony.
Beshear said that he had made a promise on that day that despite the fact that they had been knocked down, they would not be knocked out.
At this time, the state is being tested by other natural calamities. Since the flooding first started, Beshear has visited eastern Kentucky as often as the weather has allowed him to do so. He has been holding hour-long press conferences every day to deliver facts, which have included a comprehensive variety of support options for victims. Similar to what he did after the storms, Beshear created relief funds that would be distributed directly to the individuals living in the affected areas.
Beshear, a Democrat, won a close race against an incumbent who was running as a Republican in 2019, and he plans to run for reelection in 2023.
Polling has demonstrated time and time again that the majority of Kentuckians have a favourable opinion of him. However, a number of notable Republicans have joined the run for governor and have begun attacking the incumbent governor for his vigorous reaction to the epidemic as well as attempting to link him to President Biden and increasing inflation.
Beshear makes regular statements about the toll that rising inflation is having in the form of eating away at the budgets of Kentuckians. He steers clear of placing blame on Biden and instead points the finger at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and bottlenecks in the supply chain as factors that have contributed to higher consumer prices.
Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky.
