Obama Heads To Alabama For Firsthand Account Of Damages

UPDATE (2:30 pm): During his visit to Alberta, Alabama, President Obama said “I’ve got to say I’ve never seen devastation like this. It is heartbreaking.”

WASHINGTON  — President Barack Obama will travel to Alabama Friday to grab a firsthand account of the damage caused by the severe storms and tornadoes that killed nearly 300 people across the country’s southern states.

Obama and the First Lady will meet with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, other local officials and families affected by the storms. The president’s trip to the south comes hours after he signed an official disaster declaration in Alabama that provides federal aid to eight counties.

As outlined in the declaration, federal funding can be used as grants for temporary housing, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property and home repairs for residences that were not completely destroyed.

After his trip to Alabama, Obama will head east to Cape Canaveral where the space shuttle Endeavour will make its final launch.

Although the president and First Family will be in attendance, the focus will be on Rep. Gabriell Giffords. The Arizona Democrat who suffered a gunshot wound to the head is expected to attend to watch her husband, astronaut and Endeavour Commander Mark Kelly, blast into space. The launch would be Giffords’ first public appearance since the Tucson shooting in January.