President Obama met with families and first responders in Vilonia today, after taking a tour of the damage caused by the April 27 tornado.

Obama delivered remarks after walking through the Parkwood Meadows neighborhood, which was largely leveled during the storm. He promised federal government help as the town rebuilds.

“Folks here are tough. They look out for one another. And that’s been especially clear over the past week,” Obama said. “Your country’s going to be there for you.”

Obama was accompanied by Gov. Mike Beebe, Sen. Mark Pryor, and Cong. Tim Griffin as he flew over the damage in Marine One. The president declared a major disaster shortly after the storm hit to streamline federal assistance to affected communities.

This was Obama’s first visit to Arkansas as president. After spending about two and a half hours on the ground, the president departed shortly after 3 pm en route to Los Angeles.

You can watch video of his remarks here from our content partner, Ch. 7 News.