President Obama says he will travel to Missouri on Sunday to survey the damage from the deadly tornado that tore through the town of Joplin over the weekend. The president called the situation "devastating" and "heartbreaking" in his remarks made from London today.
So far, at least 116 people have died, making it the deadliest single tornado in the U.S. since 1947, and the ninth deadliest in American history. More than 500 people are reportedly injured. Officials say the tornado had a base of about 3/4 mile across and stayed on a 6 mile path. At its core, wind speeds clocked up to 198 mph.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon now says that 17 people have been rescued in the debris from the twister, but he fears the number killed by the storm will grow higher, as search efforts continue.