President travels to Arkansas to view tornado damage Published May 9, 2014 LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- President Barack Obama landed here on Air Force One, May 6, to tour the local communities damaged by a tornado April 27. In his first visit to the state as president, Obama met with victims, local officials and emergency personnel. "When something happens like this to a community, it happens to all of us," the president said during his address to the Vilonia community. At least 15 people were killed in Vilonia, White County and Faulkner County, which are some 20 miles north of Little Rock. The tornado ripped through Mayflower, 20 miles west of the base, and Vilonia around 7 p.m. on a Sunday evening, injuring dozens more and destroying multiple homes. "The folks here are tough, and they look out for each other," Obama said. He spoke with survivors of the tornado and said that although the loss of infrastructure and material things is important, the incident reminds us that nothing is more important than family. "I could not be more impressed by the spirit of the community that's here," Obama said. "This is a testament to the strength of the community, the state of Arkansas and America." He also heard concerns of the governor and local officials on the loss of up 85 percent of business in Vilonia. The National Weather Service announced the final rating as a "high end" EF-4 with winds estimated between 180 and 190 mph. The tornado was reportedly at its strongest in downtown Vilonia. The president declared a major disaster in the state of Arkansas and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area. The severe weather that hit Arkansas was part of a complex of storms that killed at least 35 across the plains and South. Staff Sgt. Christopher Gimbert, a reservist with Little Rock AFB's 22nd Air Force, Detachment 1, knows first-hand about the destructive power of the tornado that ripped through Arkansas. It missed his house, but not 11 nearby homes before going on to devastate Mayflower and Vilonia. "We could hear the freight train, but we didn't feel as much pressure from it," said Gimbert, a member of the Lake Maumelle Volunteer Fire Department. After the storm passed, Gimbert went outside just as the captain of the [volunteer] fire department drove up. "We drove out to immediately see what had happened," said Gimbert. "At first we thought that everything looked good, that we were good, but then we popped over a hill and there it was. Trees and [power] lines spaghettied everywhere, and we could see one house in the distance that was mostly gone." Members of the Arkansas National Guard were mobilized to support the communities of Vilonia and Mayflower April 28. The Guard members assisted local authorities with traffic control, search and rescue, and medical evacuation as well as delivering fresh water trailers to support the needs of local residents and the vast number of volunteers. The Little Rock AFB Airmen and Family Readiness Center stood up a donation center to collect bottled water, clothing and other items to assist Airmen and families affected by the tornado. The base provides C-130 training and is home to Air Mobility Command's 19th Airlift Wing, Air Education and Training Command's 314th AW, Air Force Reserve Command's 22nd Air Force, Det. 1, and the Air National Guard's 189th AW. (Editor's note: Information for this article was taken from news stories by Senior Airman Kaylee Clark, 19th AW Public Affairs, and by Master Sgt. Chris Durney, 22nd Air Force, Det. 1 Public Affairs.)