Yahoo TV

The disaster, which killed at least 74 people in Kentucky and 14 elsewhere, has thrown Biden into his familiar role as consoler-in-chief. He promised to bring the might of the federal government to rebuild devastated communities that suffered billions of dollars in damage.

In downtown Mayfield, Biden walked past scene after scene of the tornado's rampage, including piles of brick and scattered boards that sat where structures used to be and dozens of buildings were turned to rubble.

He stopped to chat with a woman who was sitting on a pile of bricks. He and his entourage paused to pray in the middle of a street. His message to faith-based groups helping out was, "You’re doing God's work.”

In an earlier briefing with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and emergency response officials, Biden said it was remarkable how the area's communities had come together to help each other out.

“There’s no red tornadoes, there’s no blue tornadoes," he said, referring to the colors associated with Democrats and Republicans.

“I have not seen this much damage from a tornado," he said, telling local officials, "don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”