US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, after a massive tornado flattened homes.
Mr. Biden has signed a Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration, which authorizes the release of funding for Kentucky, the state that has been hit the hardest.
The storms, he said, were among the worst in US history.
More than 70 people were killed in Kentucky by storms on Friday night, including dozens in a candle factory, and the death toll is projected to grow past 100.
Emergency crews are sifting through the ruins of the plant in Mayfield, which was directly hit.
Out of the 110 individuals in the facility, more than 40 had been rescued, but Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said finding anyone else alive would be a miracle.
The police station in Mayfield was demolished, and firefighters’ equipment was damaged, making the situation extremely difficult for the authorities.
Tens of thousands of people in the state are also without power and water. At least 12 people died as tornadoes wreaked havoc in other states, including six in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois.
