President Biden 'praying' for families after 6 die in severe weather in Tennessee
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are "praying for the families" of those who died after severe tornadoes touched down in parts of Tennessee over the weekend.
Six people died and at least 36 others were injured Saturday, officials previously said.
The White House on Monday said Biden had been briefed on the situation, and confirmed FEMA is sending more resources to the state.
"The President has been briefed on the devastating tornadoes that tore through middle Tennessee this weekend," White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said in a statement. "He and Jill are praying for the families of those who lost their lives, and wishing a swift recovery to the dozens of people who suffered injuries. FEMA is in close contact with state and local officials and FEMA Region 4 Administrator is working directly with the Governor’s team to conduct damage assessments. FEMA is sending an Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) to the state to help further support coordination efforts, and they will arrive tomorrow."
Following a tornado in Montgomery County, Tennessee, on Saturday, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said three had died and 23 had been injured. Officials said that it was two adults and one child who died.
Another three people died after severe weather hit Nashville, the city's emergency office said over the weekend. Thirteen people were injured following a church building collapse, the office said.
The National Weather Service in Nashville completed its damage survey of Saturday's tornadoes in northern Tennessee on Sunday evening.
The tornado in Clarksville, Tennessee, was rated an EF-3 with peak winds of 150 mph.
The tornado in the Madison, Hendersonville and Gallatin areas, which are the northern suburbs of Nashville, was given a preliminary EF-2 rating with winds of 125 mph.
The Enhanced Fujita scale goes from zero to five, and rates tornadoes based on estimated wind speeds and related damage.
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"This is a sad day for our community. We are praying for those who are injured, lost loved ones, and lost their homes. This community pulls together like no other and we will be here until the end," Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said in a statement.
City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts offered his sympathies over the tragedy.
"This is devastating news and our hearts are broken for the families of those who lost loved ones. The City stands ready to help them in their time of grief," Pitts said in a statement.
Multiple long-track tornadoes were reported in northwest Tennessee Saturday afternoon, as the twister threat in the region continued into the evening.
"Extensive" damage was reported in the city of Clarksville, located about 48 miles northwest of Nashville, after a tornado hit Saturday afternoon, police said.
Police urged people to stay off the roads as crews responded to multiple locations in the north Clarksville area.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Saturday that there was "damage to several homes" in Clarksville after a tornado touched down in the area of Hand Estates.
"This is a day that nobody wanted or expected," Pitts said in a video message. "We know there's extensive damage throughout the community."
In the rural town of Dresden, multiple homes, power lines and trees were impacted by a tornado, according to the town's fire department.
The National Weather Service also issued a tornado emergency alert Saturday afternoon for several Nashville suburbs, including Hendersonville and Gallatin, due to a confirmed, damaging tornado.
ABC News' Matt Foster, Justin Gomez and Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.
President Biden 'praying' for families after 6 die in severe weather in Tennessee originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
