World News

US: Biden to visit Kentucky, state battered by floods and heat | Floods News

US: Biden to visit Kentucky, state battered by floods and heat | Floods News

US President Joe Biden will travel to Kentucky on August 8 to meet with officials and families hit by disaster.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Kentucky to meet with people who have been affected by floods that have devastated the state, according to the White House. The floods have killed several dozen people and left others stranded.

The Bidens will travel to Kentucky on August 8, where they will meet with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and his wife the First Lady, impacted families and observe recovery efforts.

Weary residents have had little respite, as high temperatures bake the state and damaged water systems deprive some of access to clean water. Search and rescue teams continue to comb flooded areas.

“It is absolutely devastating out there,” Beshear said. “It’s going to take years to rebuild. People left with absolutely nothing. Homes that we don’t know where they are, just entirely gone. And we continue to find bodies of our brothers and sisters that we have lost.”

At least 37 people have been killed in the flooding, and more than 3,000 residents remain without electricity. High temperatures this week have created an additional challenge for residents struggling to recover, and the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flood warnings as thunderstorms bring the possibility of further rainfall.

As climate change contributes to the heightened intensity of natural disasters like flooding, extreme heat and wildfires across the US, government authorities and residents are reeling from the scale of the devastation.

Kentucky could receive more than three inches (76mm) of additional rain by Friday night, and Governor Beshear was forced to cancel plans to visit areas touched by flooding on Friday due to unsafe travel conditions.

The National Guard has been tasked with distributing bottled water to residents after water systems were damaged or destroyed in the flooding, and has distributed nearly 12,000 cases of water so far.

“We’re going to deliver water until these counties and areas beg us to stop delivering water,” Governor Beshear said Thursday. “As hot as it…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera…