Joplin, Missouri (CNN) — The tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, Sunday killed 118 people, authorities said today, making it the deadliest single U.S. tornado since modern record-keeping began more than 60 years ago.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said this morning the death toll has risen to 118 and the number of deaths is expected to rise as rescuers find more bodies in the rubble.
A twister in Flint, Michigan, in 1953 killed 116 people, according to the National Weather Service.
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“We are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure they recover,” said President Barack Obama, who announced on today that he plans to visit the region this Sunday.
Obama said he will let people know “the whole country is going to be behind them.”
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“We are here for you. We’re going to stay by you,” Obama said.
