For the third time in a month, President Barack Obama on Sunday plans to visit a community savaged by a terrible act of nature, comfort survivors who’ve lost everything and talk with local leaders about rebuilding.
This time Obama is scheduled to visit Joplin, Missouri. A week ago, a twister packing winds of more than 200 mph ripped through the town, destroying neighborhoods and killing more people than any other U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began in 1950.
Early Sunday morning, Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr told CNN the death toll was 142. State authorities have released the names of 73 victims.
The number of those unaccounted for has decreased to 44, MIssouri Gov. Jay Nixon told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. He said Missouri state troopers made death notifications to families throughout the night, sitting with some families for hours as they grieved.
Some of those 44 may be in the morgue, Nixon said. Damage to some of the bodies means DNA testing must be conducted in order to identify them.
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One Response
Well I am glad he has the time in his busy schedule to visit Joplin only a week late! I guess all that vacationing (AGAIN!), golfing (AGAIN!!), and of course a little work in Europe kept him busy. I am waiting for the drive-bys to crucify him like they did Pres Bush but I know that wont happen because the drive-bys are an extension of the socialist liberal democrat workers party.