Governor pledges support from state
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Facing the aftermath of 12 fatalities and untold millions in property damage, Bredesen criss-crossed the state yesterday meeting with local officials in tornado-torn communities to draft strategies to help them begin a recovery process which some say may take months ? or even years.
Bredesen made a stop in Warren County where three of those 12 lives were lost and an unprecedented amount of damage was done when two separate twisters touched down in the north and south ends of the county.
Though he acknowledged Sumner County received the brunt of the storm damage, Bredesen didn?t downplay the situation here, which he saw first-hand during a flight over the county accompanied by County Executive Kenneth Rogers.
?What I?ve seen is a tornado path that skipped around a bit, but where it touched down it was very intense,? Bredesen said. ?Those areas were just decimated.?
Bredesen said he was most disturbed by the loss of life.
?It?s very tragic circumstances here with the deaths,? he said. ?I want to say my heart goes out, and I?m sure the hearts of every Tennessean, to the families who were affected and lost loved ones and lost homes. I?m trying to do everything I can to provide some support from the state here.?
Bredesen said he is working with local government in that effort.
?I?ve met with the officials of the county,? Bredesen said. ?The county executive, the sheriff, the county commissioners and others and just basically said, look, we?re here to help. I don?t want to overwhelm you. Here?s the things we?ve got and we?re going to stand over here and you tell us what you need and we?ll be there for you.?
The governor said he will also be working to elicit federal aid.
?When I return to Nashville about an hour from now, we?ll actually sign the presidential declaration requests to get presidential declarations for several counties, and Warren will be one of them.?
Gov. Bredesen said he is well aware of the effects the storms and the devastation will have on the county.
?I?d like to say to the people of Warren County, speaking as governor, I think the hearts of people all across Tennessee are with you,? Bredesen said. ?Especially those who lost loved ones in this. Houses you can rebuild, and couches and computers and toys, you can go to the store and get new ones, but you can?t ever replace a human life. To those people especially we just want them to know that our prayers and our thoughts are with them.?