President Donald Trump said Monday he would ask Congress for emergency disaster aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, as he and first lady Melania Trump toured the devastation from the deadly storm that has left hundreds of thousands without power in Florida and Georgia.

FEMA administrator Brock Long, who was traveling with Trump, did not give a specific dollar amount for the needed aid, saying it was premature. Trump made the remarks at an American Red Cross facility in Macon, Ga., after visiting hurricane-ravaged areas on the Florida Panhandle earlier in the day.

"We just left Florida and the people there are thrilled with our people and our talent," Trump said in Macon. "What they were not thrilled with was this hurricane."

Trump and the first lady arrived earlier Monday at Eglin Air Force Base in Okaloosa County, Fla., and were en route to Warner Robins, Ga., later in the afternoon. They were greeted by Gov. Rick Scott, Long, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and other officials.

"Rick Scott, your governor, has done an incredible job, and all of your people have been amazing - working with FEMA, working with the first responders, and always law enforcement," Trump said before boarding a helicopter to survey the storm-damaged areas. He noted that the storm was so strong that some residents' homes had been entirely washed away.

"Some of them have no trace of a home. You wouldn't even know it," Trump said, adding that the government's priority was to provide food, power and safety to those affected.

Scott thanked Trump, who he said had "come through and done exactly what he said he was going to do."

The Trumps then flew over devastated parts of Mexico Beach and Panama City, Fla. Mexico Beach is a tiny town that was nearly swept away by the storm; the president's helicopter route Monday took him over the debris-filled scene, which included thousands of uprooted trees, a toppled water tower and homes torn loose from their foundations.

At a FEMA aid distribution center in Lynn Haven, Fla., before handing out water bottles alongside his wife, the president described the damage caused by the storm that killed more than a dozen people after it made landfall last week.

"These are massive trees that have been just ripped out of the earth," Trump said. "We've seen mostly water. And water can be very damaging, and scary, when you see water rising 14 or 15 feet. But nobody's ever seen anything like this. This is really incredible."

Trump noted that "we're doing more than has probably ever been done," and as he introduced himself to a police officer, said: "In 30 days, you will not recognize this place."

Amid the heavy-duty debris clearance and continued search and rescue operations going on in Mexico Beach, residents stopped for a moment around midday as four helicopters, two of them military, made a low and slow pass over the demolished town.

Had the president opted for a ground tour of the hurricane ground zero, he would have found many supporters.

"It's very good he's coming down here, but I'm most thankful he waited a few days until search and rescue could do their thing," said David Childs of Griffin, Ga., as he boarded up his beachfront vacation home. "If you see him, tell him the boys in 1B want to shake his hand."

Jim Ostman, a 27-year resident of the town who rode out the hurricane in his condo, said that Trump was "absolutely doing enough for us."

"I see what's happening here. What they're doing is incredible; everything is in a sequence and in line and they're following protocol," he said, adding that "every single carpenter I know has lost his tools and truck, so help there would be nice."

The helicopter route also took Trump near Tyndall Air Force Base, which was damaged by the storm.

After the helicopter tour, the president, first lady, Scott and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen surveyed a street of damaged homes in nearby Lynn Haven. President Trump shook hands and chatted with residents; he was accompanied by the mayor of Lynn Haven, Margo Anderson.

Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, tearing through parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The storm has killed at least 18 people, a number that officials say is likely to rise as emergency crews work to reach some of the hardest-hit areas.

Scott noted Sunday as he toured the area for a third day with Long that "one of the most frustrating problems is telecommunications."

Since Thursday, 17,000 utility workers have arrived to rebuild and repair the crippled infrastructure, and 2,000 cellphone company workers and 18,000 search-and-rescue personnel have arrived in the region, joining 4,000 Florida National Guard troops and multitudes of police and firefighters.

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The Washington Post's Patricia Sullivan contributed to this report.