Pres. Joe Biden, First Lady tour Eastern Ky. flood damage

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - On Monday, President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden joined Governor Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear in touring flood ravaged areas of Eastern Kentucky. They also talked with families affected by the historic flooding.

”I got to meet the family back here on this side of the road,” said Biden. “You see, what’s happened to their properties, their trailer everything they had and how they came together,” he added. “No complaining, just getting up and going to get it done.”

Governor Andy Beshear mentioned the more than three dozen dead, including four young kids. He said seeing the destruction first hand is heartbreaking.

“Britainy and I sat with a young family as they showed us pictures of the home that they worked a decade to build,” said Beshear. “One that they were so proud of that is a total loss.”

President Biden spoke with one Eastern Kentuckian across the road from where he delivered remarks in Breathitt County. He said the man’s trailers was moved to the other end of his property by flood waters.

”He said, well you know, we Kentuckians don’t want to ask for too much,” Biden added. “Get this - we don’t want to ask for too much.”

The president said the federal, state and local governments are staying until Eastern Kentuckians rebuild.

”You’re an American citizen, we never give up, we never stop, we never bow,” he added. “We just go forward.”

Below is a report from the Associated Press:

At least 37 people have died since last month’s deluge, which dropped 8 to 10 1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threat, warning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.

Monday’s visit will be Biden’s second to the state. He previously visited in December after tornadoes whipped through Kentucky, killing 77 people and leaving a trail of destruction.

“I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” Beshear said recently. “I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything. I can’t give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can. These are our people. Let’s make sure we help them out.”

Biden has expanded federal disaster assistance to Kentucky, ensuring the federal government will cover the full cost of debris removal and other emergency measures.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $3.1 million in relief funds, and hundreds of rescue personnel have been deployed to help.

The flooding came just one month after Beshear visited Mayfield to celebrate the completion of the first houses to be fully constructed since a tornado nearly wiped out the town. Three families were handed keys to their new homes that day, and the governor in his remarks hearkened back to a visit he had made in the immediate aftermath.

“I pledged on that day that while we had been knocked down, we were not knocked out,” Beshear said. “That we would get back up again and we would move forward. And six months to the day, we’re not just up, we’re not just standing on our feet, we are moving forward.”

Now more disasters are testing the state. Beshear has been to eastern Kentucky as many times as weather permitted since the flooding began. He’s had daily news conferences stretching an hour to provide details including a full range of assistance for victims. Much like after the tornadoes, Beshear opened relief funds going directly to people in the beleaguered regions.

A Democrat, Beshear narrowly defeated a Republican incumbent in 2019, and he’s seeking a second term in 2023.

Polling has consistently shown him with strong approval ratings from Kentuckians. But several prominent Republicans have entered the governor’s race, taking turns pounding the governor for his aggressive pandemic response and trying to tie him to Biden and rising inflation.

Beshear comments frequently about the toll surging inflation is taking in eating at Kentuckians’ budgets. He avoids blaming Biden, instead pointing to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain bottlenecks as contributors to rising consumer costs.

You can read more from the AP here.

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