TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Expressing amazement at the destruction around him, President Barack Obama on Friday stepped through the wreckage left by rampaging tornadoes and pledged help to those who survived, but lost their homes in a terrifying flash. Said the president: “I’ve never seen devastation like this.”

“We’re going to make sure you’re not forgotten,” Pres. Obama said as he and First Lady Michelle Obama walked the streets of a reeling neighborhood. He said that although nothing could be done for the many who were killed — “they’re alongside God at this point” — Pres. Obama assured support for resilient survivors.

Hurrying to Alabama, Pres. Obama offered comfort and help in a role he and presidents before him have had to assume time and again in moments of crisis. “It is heartbreaking,” he said, standing under a sunny sky that was a stark contrast to the wreckage and bleakness around him.

Pictured: President Pres. Barack Pres. Obama visits tornado damage in the Alberta neighborhood in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Friday, April 29, 2011.