Remarks by President Biden in Dawson Springs on the Response to the Tornadoes
DECEMBER 15, 2021
Location: Dawson Springs, Kentucky

3:06 P.M. CST
    
THE PRESIDENT: Gov, thank you. 
 
I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine.  This is Dane.  Dane lived down the street.  And Dane and all his — he has cousins who are all together.  And one cousin, I don’t know where she is.  There she is.   Come on up here, honey.  Can you see — come here. 
 
She is about to graduate from UK on Friday — on Friday.  And — and I just want you to meet them. 
 
I — I’m sorry to keep you all waiting, but I got a chance to hang out with the whole extended family down there.  And I want you to meet a soon-to-be-graduate who wants to go on to graduate school.  Come on up here, honey.  (Applause.)
 
What’s your first name?
 
MS. PARKER:  Abby.  (Applause.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Abby is here, and we’re going to figure something special for her graduation day.  But imag- — imagine that: This Friday, she graduates from UK. 
 
I kid and say, “The best thing that ever came out of Kentucky was my sister-in-law.  And she is — she’s all blue.  She went to UK, then she went on to Duke Law School.  And she married my brother.  We’re all thankful to everybody for her marrying my brother. 
 
And at any rate — so, you got to remember me when you’re President.   Right?
 
MS. PARKER:  Yeah.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Thank you.  I just wanted you to meet the folks I was just hanging with. 
 
Thank you, honey.
 
MS. PARKER:  Thank you.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Andy — thank you, Gov, for the introduction.  I — your forbearance is — is commendable.  I — this has to be an emotional moment for you and the family, for the congressmen — for all of you congressmen.  Thanks for the passport into your district.  Appreciate it. 
 
And the — I want to also thank everyone here that took the time to be here.  And, you know, one of the things — back in the 1900s, Dawson Springs was a place where people came to be healed because of the mineral waters.  Literally, it was a place you came to heal.  Now it’s our turn to help the entire town to heal. 
 
You know, I — I granted the request for the first emergency declaration and the major disaster declaration the moment I received it, because I got to know the Governor’s father, and I knew nothing would come if it wasn’t real.  I mean it.  For real. 
 
And, you know, yesterday I also approved an emergency declaration for the state of Illinois and Tennessee.  And I intend to do whatever it takes, as long as it takes — as long as it takes — to support your state, your local leaders, and — as you recover and rebuild, because you will recover and you will rebuild. 
 
You know, the scope and scale of this destruction is almost beyond belief.  When you look around here, it’s just almost beyond belief.  These tornadoes devoured everything in their path.  And, you know, as I flew over here in the helicopter, you can look down and you see a house 20 yards away from a house that’s devastated, and the house is in good shape.
 
I mean, it’s just — tornadoes are such devastating storms.
 
Back where I’m from, we’re used to hurricanes and floods and high water, but these tornadoes are just something totally different.  And they’re not — you devoured — it devoured everything in the path: your homes, your businesses, your houses of worship, your dreams, their lives. 
 
And, you know, the Governor confirmed there were, I think you said, 74 fatalities so far, Gov, in Kentucky and — and making these among the deadliest tornadoes to ever strike this state. 
 
Almost 14 people are confirmed dead in other states, with dozens of people still — still fearful of where they — where they are. 
 
I met one of them.  I don’t have permission to use their name, but I met one couple on the way up, said they’re still looking for four of their friends.  They don’t know where they are. 
 
And those who have lost someone — there’s no words for the pain of losing someone.  A lot of us know it.  A lot of us understand it, especially around the holidays, when everything is supposed to be happy and joyful.
 
It was a long time ago I got a phone call around the holidays and found out that my — I was in Washington as a young senator — not sworn in yet — about to be hiring staff.  And I got a call saying, from a first responder, that there had been an accident.  A tractor trailer broadsided my wife with a Christmas tree on top and my three kids inside.  My wife and daughter were dead.