WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Friday will visit a Mississippi town ravaged by a deadly tornado even as a new series of severe storms threatens to rip across the Midwest and the South.Last week's twister destroyed roughly 300 homes and businesses in Rolling Fork and the nearby town of Silver City, leaving mounds of wreckage full of lumber, bricks and twisted metal.
Hundreds of additional structures were badly damaged. The death toll in Mississippi stood at 21, based on deaths confirmed by coroners.
One person died in Alabama, as well.A view of the destruction in Rolling Fork after deadly tornadoes and severe storms tore through the US state of Mississippi, United States on March 26, 2023. (Photo by Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Biden and first lady Jill Biden will survey the damage, meet with homeowners impacted by the storms and first responders and get an operational briefing from federal and state officials.
They are expected to be joined by Gov. Tate Reeves, Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Rep. Bennie Thompson, along with local leaders.In a statement after the tornado, Biden pledged that the federal government would "do everything we can to help.""We will be there as long as it takes," he said. "We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover."RELATED: How you can help survivors of Mississippi, Alabama tornadoesPresidents regularly visit parts of the U.S.