LONDON — President Barack Obama will travel to Missouri on Sunday to view damage caused by the tornado that left at least 116 dead in Joplin, amid fears that a second twister could hit Tuesday.
Obama, who was speaking at the US ambassador’s residence in London during his state visit to the UK, said he was “heartbroken” by the disaster.
“Like all Americans, we have been monitoring what has been taking place very closely and have been heartbroken by the images that we’ve seen in Joplin, Missouri, in particular,” he said. “The devastation is comparable and may end up exceeding some of the devastation that we saw in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, just a few weeks ago.”
He added, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that are suffering at the moment. All we can do is let them know that all of America cares deeply about them and we are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they can recover.”
Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, spoke by phone with Gov. Jay Nixon. “We’ve offered him not only our condolences, but we’ve told him that we will give him every ounce of resources the federal government may have that we can bring to bear on this situation,” Obama said.
Obama said he would discuss the response effort and pray with local families during the visit. Obama is scheduled to return to Washington on Saturday after a six-day European tour.
He said to victims, “The American people are by your side. We’re going to stay there until every home is repaired, until every neighborhood is rebuilt, until every business is back on its feet. That’s my commitment, and that’s the American people’s commitment.
Cold, driving rains were hampering search and rescue efforts two days after the deadliest US tornado in nearly six decades. At least two emergency workers were reportedly struck by lightning late Monday.
The death toll from the violent twister stood at 116 as of Monday evening but there were fears that figure would rise Tuesday, with more than 2,000 buildings destroyed and roughly a third of the city damaged.
There was a 45 percent chance Joplin could be hit by a second big tornado Tuesday, as the National Weather Service warned strong tornadoes were “likely” over Oklahoma, Kansas, and other areas, with the storm system moving eastward Wednesday to Southeast Missouri, Central Illinois, and surrounding states.
The National Weather Service determined that the tornado — one of more than 60 reported twisters to hit the Midwest over the weekend — packed winds of up to 190-198mph (306-319kph) in speed, classifying it as a powerful EF-4, the second-highest rating for tornado strength.
The death toll is the highest since 116 people died in a tornado in Flint, Mich., in 1953. In Joplin, a city of 50,000 people, some 500 were injured, and an official number of missing was unknown.
“It is utter chaos,” City Councilwoman and Vice Mayor Melodee Colbert-Kean told The Wall Street Journal as thunderstorms pelted the city with rain and hail late Monday.
Gov. Nixon said he was optimistic that there were still survivors in the rubble, and ABC News reported 17 people were rescued, including one man who texted his friend his location and the words, “I’m alive.”
“We believe that there are still rescues out there,” Nixon said. “We’re going to cover every foot of this town. We are … optimistic that there are still lives to be saved. But [first responders] have seen a tremendous amount of pain already.”
More than 450 people already have been killed by tornadoes in the South and Midwest this spring, marking the deadliest tornado season in the US since 1953, when 519 people were killed.