Correction: In October 2006, then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., visited Arkansas to speak at a rally for Democratic candidates. This article should have made clear that Obama's coming visit to the state Wednesday to see tornado damage will be his first as president.

President Barack Obama will make his first-ever visit to Arkansas on Wednesday when he will survey tornado-damaged areas, White House officials said Saturday.

Details of specific times and locations of the president’s tour were not disclosed. White House officials said in a statement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that in addition to viewing the damage, Obama plans to “meet with the families affected, first responders and recovery workers.”

Local leaders hope the visit will spur more aid to the affected areas.

The visit comes in response to a letter from U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., asking the president to join him in witnessing firsthand the devastation from a storm system that spawned five tornadoes - at least one rated as a “high-end” EF4 - on April 27.

The storm, which cut through Pulaski, Faulkner and White counties, claimed 15 lives, injured hundreds of others and destroyed more than 3,000 homes.

Pryor said in the letter that Obama’s “assistance in expediting all necessary aid is crucial to the affected families and communities.”

“I hate that he had to come under these circumstances,” Vilonia Mayor James Firestone said. “But I think, hopefully, that this will help get the message out.”

That message, he said, is that Vilonia and other towns need assistance to mitigate the impending “economic devastation” the cities will face with numerous businesses and homes gone.

“Ninety percent of our businesses have been destroyed,” Firestone said.

The letter from Pryor’s office notes that the region has already received assistance from groups and neighboring residents in the state, but “expedited assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, and other government agencies will be essential as we work to reconstruct the devastated areas of our state.”

Firestone and U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., said they both plan to ask Obama during his visit for more federal aid to help shelters and businesses.

Surrounded by uprooted trees outside his brother’s storm-damaged home in Ferndale, Obama supporter Charles Worden said Saturday that he and others affected by the tornado are more concerned with cleaning up and rebuilding than a visit by the president.

“That’s not our focus,” he said. “Anybody that wants to come and look - I think a lot of folks don’t realize how bad it is. We welcome him to come take a look at it.”

Jamie Wayne, who recently moved to Ferndale with his wife, Valerie, said that he and his neighbors were curious to know if the president’s visit will include an announcement that more federal aid will be given to tornado victims.

“All the people probably really care about, the people that need help and assistance, they just want to know if they’re going to get it or not. They don’t care if the president’s here. They could care less whether he’s here. Let’s get the assistance,” he said.

Valerie Wayne said that she was pleased the president has taken notice of the damage.

“It’s appreciated that he’s coming,” she said.

Currently, the federal disaster declaration in Faulkner County allows residents to apply for FEMA funds for temporary housing, home repairs, medical expenses and unemployment as a result of the disaster.

On Saturday, 65 people who had applied for the assistance at Arkansas Department of Emergency Management registration tables were approved for more than $650,000 in combined aid.

But local officials are concerned that individual assistance won’t be enough because of all the money the municipalities stand to lose in sales-tax revenue and school assistance from millage rates placed on property taxes.

“If the governments aren’t functioning, the rebuilding is going to be that much more difficult,” Griffin said.

Griffin said Mayflower alone could need about $150,000 to go toward covering the sales-tax losses.

“In the grand scheme of things, we’re not talking about large sums of money,” he said.

Griffin said the assistance could come in the form of a loan or a temporary grant.

“Their revenue is going down to just a small percentage of what it was because so many businesses were hit,” he said. “This needs to be a rapid response kind of deal.”

Several of the injured remained in area hospitals Saturday, some still in critical condition.

Faulkner County spokesman David Hogue said all power had been restored in the county where buildings were not destroyed.

Hogue and Firestone said telephone lines had been repaired at both Mayflower and Vilonia schools and that classes will be held Monday.

Firestone said it could be a few months before Vilonia exits the cleanup phase of the recovery, but that the city is already about a month ahead of where it was a week after the less-damaging 2011 tornado struck.

Firestone credited the lessons learned in the 2011 experience for this week’s quick progress.

“Sunday night, you couldn’t even get through, but now you can drive in the city everywhere,” Firestone said.

On Saturday, Team Rubicon - a group of military veterans and medical professionals that deploys volunteers to disaster areas - arrived in Faulkner County to organize volunteers in the area at the request of the mayors and County Judge Allen Dodson.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 05/04/2014