Eric Garcia, a Eudora police officer, arrived Tuesday morning in Joplin, Mo., to assist law enforcement and emergency management personnel dealing with the aftermath of a tornado that destroyed much of the city on Sunday.

The police department originally planned to send an officer to assist with tornado recovery in Reading in Lyon County, where a tornado struck on Saturday. But Sgt. Tom Willis, a police spokesman, said Joplin had a major need for law enforcement officers. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday morning that the death toll was 117, making it the nation’s single deadliest twister in 60 years.

Willis said it’s possible the department would send help to Reading later.

Two Lawrence Douglas County Fire and Medical division chiefs, Bill Stark and Sean Coffey, deployed to Reading on Monday as part of a regional emergency management incident team.