Picher News Archives

The sights and sounds of the late afternoon of May 26, 1973, are as vivid in Ponie McCrary's and T. Speck Plunkett's minds today as they were 35 years ago.

Ceremonies slated to honor veterans Local veterans, their relatives and friends, and community members will hold ceremonies not just on Memorial Day on Monday but throughout the holiday weekend.

President George W. Bush has already declared Ottawa County as a disaster area because of the tornado which tore through Picher, in Northeastern Oklahoma, on May 10.

With tornado season upon us, being prepared is vital Keith White is prepared for if and when a tornado whirls through Tulsa.

Gov. Brad Henry has asked the federal government to provide additional disaster assistance to parts of Oklahoma affected by severe storms this month.

About 20 people were lined up Tuesday morning outside the disaster-recovery center when state and federal officials opened the doors.

The Environmental Protection Agency is providing $8 million in federal funding to the Oklahoma Department of Environment Quality to expedite the buyout and relocation of residents of Picher, Oklahoma.

' The Tar Creek buyout program has received $8 million to assist tornado victims, U.S. Sen.

Oklahomans recently again were reminded of how powerful and unrelenting spring storms can be.

When a tornado roared through Picher on May 10, 80-year-old Chizuri Cox survived the initial storm. via KFOR-TV Oklahoma City

A disaster recovery center for individuals and business owners will open Tuesday in this tornado-ravaged town, officials said. via TulsaWorld.com - News

“He said, 'Mom's bad, real bad,' ”

Don Shrubshell photo From left, Nichole and Dustin Richardson play checkers in a waiting room near James Richardson and Chris Richardson yesterday at University Hospital, where Anna Richardson is undergoing ... via Columbia Daily Tribune

“A lot of people's faith wavers at this time, and I understand.”

Federal relief is on the way for the storm victims of Picher. President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration for Ottawa County. via KOKI

Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney is working as a volunteer for the American Red Cross to help people in his hometown recover from a deadly tornado. via The Shawnee News-Star

“It's certainly one of the biggest years we've had”

The tornadoes that ripped through the Midwest and South over the weekend killed about two dozen people, officials said Monday, making 2008 the deadliest year so far for twisters in a decade. via Los Angeles Times

“It really is like a small nuclear bomb went off”

No government money will be awarded for rebuilding any of the 100 homes leveled by a deadly tornado that tore through one of the nation's most polluted areas, state and federal officials said Tuesday on a tour ... via Las Vegas Sun

“It didn't feel like Mother Nature. It felt personal.”

Another round of storms moved Tuesday into tornado-ravaged areas of Missouri, Arkansas and several other states where residents are still picking up from the weekend's killer twisters. via The Daily Illini

“We appreciate the quick response from Pres. Bush and his team. The people of Picher and the other affected communities need all the help they can get, and this is a critical first step.”

President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration for individuals affected by the severe storms and the deadly tornado in Ottawa County. via 2 Works For You

Annie Ingram and Brian Breeman salvage belongings in Breeman's home in Newtonia, Missouri, after a tornado sheared off the side of his house on Saturday, May 10, 2008. via The Norman Transcript

Amid the death and destruction of Saturday's killer tornado that hit Picher are also stories of survival. via KFOR-TV Oklahoma City

Another round of storms are headed toward tornado-ravaged areas of Missouri, Arkansas and several other US states where residents are still picking up from the weekend's killer twisters that left at least 27 ... via The West Australian

Chinese government officials expect the death toll from yesterday's earthquake to rise above 12,000. Among the missing and dead, 900 students and teachers in one school and about 1,000 in another. via Kndu.com

The tornado that struck Picher, Okla. last weekend struck in the middle of a federal Superfund site, and Tuesday, officials touring the site said no g ... via Mochila

Forecasters say another round of storms is headed toward tornado-ravaged areas of Missouri, Arkansas and several other states. via CANOE

Governor Brad Henry will join the head of the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA on a tour of the tornado damage in Picher. via KOKI

“The winds blew Brandon out of his daddy's arms, then picked up Jack (the boy's father) and blew him around”

An Oklahoma man says his 4-year-old grandson is recuperating after being pulled from his father's arms and thrown two blocks by a tornado during the weekend. via WBCK-AM Battle Creek

State and federal officials will begin assessing the damage today in tornado ravaged Picher where at least six people were killed by a Saturday tornado. via KFOR-TV Oklahoma City

“And, people need to be patient. Let the elected officials do their job. There's a lot of unanswered questions. We'll get the answers to those questions, but just be patient and we'll work as fast as we can.”

The town of Picher has gone through so much over the past two decades with a superfund site that forced many from their homes. via KTUL

Survivors began cleaning up from a deadly blast of storms and tornadoes that killed 24 people in three central U.S. states over the weekend. via PR-inside.com

Hillary Rodham Clinton toured the birthplace of Mother's Day in rural West Virginia, offering Democrats a subtle reminder Sunday that her fading candidacy remains strong among women and blue-collar, white ... via Weirton Daily Times

A tornado ripped through a 20-block swath of Picher, Okla. late Saturday afternoon, killing at least seven people. via ClipSyndicate

“If I didn't have my grandson with me, I probably wouldn't have left.”

Search crews combed debris-strewn fields for possible tornado victims Sunday as residents picked through the remains of homes demolished by storms that smashed through the Plains and South, killing at least 21 ... via KansasCity.com

Crews and search dogs have been looking for survivors or bodies in piles of debris after storms including tornadoes killed at least 21 people in three states. via WTOK-TV Meridian

A Picher, Oklahoma man describes what it was like when his house collapsed around him during a tornado. via Mochila

A SERIES of powerful tornadoes has swept across the US Great Plains, killing at least 20 people in Oklahoma and Missouri, officials say Susie Stonner, spokeswoman for the Missouri department of emergency ... via News.com.au

“I know of one fatality at this time and I'm afraid there is going to be more. Things are looking pretty bad up here”

Authorities say at least 10 people are dead in Missouri and Oklahoma after severe weather that included tornadoes.

Oklahoma Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten says six people died Saturday in Picher. She says the death toll could go higher.

She says the tornado caused major damage in a 20-block area.

The National Weather Service says three people died after a tornado near Seneca in southwestern Missouri. Meteorologist Bill Davis says a fourth person died near Carthage. Read more

At least five tornadoes have been reported in eastern Oklahoma, and injuries have been reported in Picher and Peoria, officials said. via NewsOK.com

“Ol' Picher is just like the rest of us, she's 90 years old and on her last legs”

Waiting in their cars or on broken sidewalks, the blue-jeaned crowd has turned out for a parade. via WiscNews.com

“It was such a gray, depressing day”

At first glance, the students’ artwork is as bleak as the town that inspired them.A month has passed since the students — some from the city, some from the suburbs — returned to their Kansas ... via KansasCity.com