Biden: Feds ‘not leaving’ town hit by tornado

MISS. >> President Joe Biden saw for himself the flattened homes, broken furniture and upended lives left behind by last week’s deadly tornado in Mississippi and pledged Friday that the federal government is not leaving until the area is back on its feet.

In the close-knit community of Rolling Fork, Biden read aloud the names of each of the 13 residents of the small town killed in the storm after touring the wreckage. He acknowledged to residents that the road to recovery will be long and hard, but said he was committed to helping them through it.

“We’re not just here for today,” said Biden, standing near an animal shelter and a hardware store reduced to rubble by the powerful storm as he addressed members of the devastated community. “We’re going to get it done for you. We’re going to make sure you can stay right here.”

Biden lost Mississippi by more than 16 percentage points in 2020, but people were grateful that he came — and hopeful they won’t be forgotten. Resident Paul Rice said he welcomed the continued attention Friday’s visit brought to the town’s plight.

“Right now, everybody’s here, but I imagine it’ll start drying up,” said Rice, who was driving around town on an ATV to survey the damage and check on friends whose homes had been destroyed. “We’re Americans first and foremost. And that means we all have to work together.”

The president heaped praise on Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and the area’s longtime Democratic congressman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, for moving quickly to help Rolling Fork and surrounding communities following last week’s storm.