Twister May Be Last Straw For Okla. Town

Some Residents Of Picher, Okla., Won't Try To Rebuild; Tornadoes Killed 22 People In 3 States

(CBS/AP)  Sue Sigle was hoping the government would offer more money for her home before she moves away from this pollution-scarred town. Then the tornado came.

As she began the task of salvage Sunday, Sigle kept a smile on her face, noting that she was fortunate to be visiting family in Missouri when the massive twister hit Saturday night, killing at least six people in this northeastern Oklahoma town.

"I'm OK with everything," Sigle said. "The Lord is going to take care of anything. ... I was going to move anyway. I guess I'll just have to move sooner."

That sense of inevitability appeared to grip residents as they picked through the remnants of their homes. The lead and zinc mines that made Picher a booming town of about 20,000 in the mid-20th century closed decades ago; leftover waste has turned the area into an environmental disaster and a Superfund site.

Many families have moved away to escape the lead pollution, taking advantage of state and federal buyouts in recent years. Piles of mine waste, or chat, have long towered over the town across a highway from the devastated neighborhood; they're now peppered with debris from homes flattened by the tornado.

The tornado - spawned by storms that also killed at least 16 people in Missouri and Georgia - could be the ultimate incentive for those 800 or so residents who have been reluctant to leave, said John Sparkman, head of the local housing authority.

"I think people probably have had enough," he said. "There's just nothing to build back to any more."

Meanwhile in nearby Seneca, Mo., the storm rolled through the town and surrounding area for 15 terrorizing minutes -- 300 yards wide and 12 miles long, reports Dave Price for The Early Show. The area is now decimated, like many other American towns that have felt the brunt of one of the most active tornado seasons in the past 50 years.

Some residents in Picher, like Sigle, were waiting for better buyout offers before their homes were damaged.

Gov. Brad Henry, who toured the area both by air and on foot Sunday, said the buyout program won't stop just because homes were leveled. He went so far as to say he would "guarantee" that those awaiting buyouts who lost their homes would be treated fairly.

"We will continue to assess the situation. ... We will make sure the people get the assistance that they need," Henry said. "If they need help to be moved to another location, we'll do everything we can to help them do that. I think it's kind of speculative for me to sit here and say exactly what's going to happen. I don't know at this point."

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said he too would work to keep the buyout program on track.

Another question is how the Federal Emergency Management Agency will approach the disaster.

Because of Picher's Superfund status, FEMA is unlikely to grant assistance to homeowners to rebuild in the town, said Oklahoma Emergency Management Director Albert Ashwood. But he echoed Henry's and Inhofe's assurances about the federal buyout program, which is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

FEMA crews are scheduled to arrive in Picher on Monday to examine the damage, state emergency management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said.

One of the homes those crews likely will examine will be that of Jeff Reeves, 43, who has followed his grandfather and father as Picher's fire chief. He has lived in Picher all his life and has watched it slowly decline, first from the closure of the mines, then from the mine waste.

"With everything else that's going on here, I'm not sure there is a recovery," he said, adding that city officials and the committee overseeing the buyout "are going to have to make some decisions as far as proceeding rapidly with the buyout process and getting it taken care of."

Among the first things Sigle looked for when she arrived at her house Sunday afternoon was her late husband's prize collection of Mickey Mantle memorabilia.

Friends already had removed a safe containing the collection from what used to be her bedroom, and she quickly opened the safe's door.

"Oh, hallelujah!" Sigle said when she saw the baseball cards - Mantle grew up in nearby Commerce - and an undamaged ball signed by the former New York Yankees star.

Sigle, who has taught second- and third-graders in Picher for 37 years, also found a slightly soiled T-shirt that read, in part, "Gorilla Spirit Lives On," a nod to the mascot of Picher High School, which will probably close in the next few years.

The storm will speed up what was probably going to happen anyway, she said.

"I know I lost a lot of junk. I guess it's time to clean up and see what I need."

[mcvet]

I wonder why all the Freakvangelist and Religious Nazi''s aren''t telling us this town was wiped off the map because of some "Sin" they committed. Surely someone in this town was committing a "sin"! Sieg Heil and Amen

[sentry88]

MVVet You are an IDIOT, why does every damm thing with you have to be Nazi''s and Zealots?

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the governor%u2019s lack of response to the global warming thunderstorms and tornadoes. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these tornadoes, and mother earth continues to suffer while the governor%u2019s office refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.
.
How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible plans into action? How long must we wait until we beef up our corn ethanol production? At least Obama wants to cut c02 pollution by 80%; he is definitely our best hope.
.
We the people call upon the governor to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these tornadoes and storms continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these storms cease. We need action now.

[usbrit-2009]

Seems to me the whole town could be had for child abuse for knowingly bringing up children in such a polluted environment.

[l8c6]

MVVet You are an IDIOT, why does every damm thing with you have to be Nazi''''s and Zealots?

Posted by sentry88

A question might be asked of you and many others. Why for at least a solid quarter of a century have so many people listened quietly often paying homage to some of the most heinous, egregious, outrageous, bigoted and divisive statements and actions from the mouths and pens of right wing war mongering greedy tele-evangelist, special interest sects, faux corporate preachers, elusive right wing religious empire building, private government advocating lobbyists, corporate business idolators, and corrupt hoe politicians?

[besscannon-2009]

What can we say that here that would have any impact on the bobbleheads in Congress and the Oval Office that are constantly giving the nod to Corporate America to go ahead and do whatever they want, or, need to to generate bigger and better profits? Until they are impacted in some way, our problems are very remote to them and of not much consequence. God needs to strike them in some devastating way that wakes them up to what the rest of use are going through. Then, only then, maybe we will get some action toward correcting all the evils that are causing the global weather problems.

[jon2012-2009]

MVVet You are an IDIOT, why does every damm thing with you have to be Nazi''''s and Zealots?
Posted by sentry88 at 09:22 AM : May 12, 2008

I guess you don''t appreciate it when a comment hits close to home. You need to loosen up.

[edward1975-2009]

Maybe a blessing in disguise. But I wonder why one would choose to live in a place like this knowing that it is so toxic. Makes ya wonder.

[rf35]

While the deaths caused by the tornado are tragic, it is perhaps for the greater good that this town will now be abandoned. The survivors will almost certainly find themselves in healthier environments as a result of this.

MCVet, keep up the good fight. Even though you''ve labeled me a "Nazi" once or twice, I still see the truth in many of your posts and the wit missed by those who wear their emotions on their sleeves.

AL2008, you are an idiot. There is just no point in showing you the studies proving that humans are not responsible for climate change, is there? Corn ethanol is a sure way to doom the country.

[roger_inkart]

"I''m OK with everything," Sigle said. "The Lord is going to take care of anything. ... I was going to move anyway. I guess I''ll just have to move sooner."

Well, that being said, maybe ''The Lord'' just didn''t like your little blight of a town, and sought to help move the process of healing the massive wound us little humans tore in His planet.

We as humans would do well to stand on our own two feet without having to relate everything that happens on the planet to an imaginary being.

[nothappyatall]

"I''m OK with everything," Sigle said. "The Lord is going to take care of anything. "

Another delusional right winger, if the LORD was going to take care of things the twister never would have happened in the FIRST place!

[cashank]

You people are the most ignorant and unfeeling people I have been around. These people may not have had much but it was their homes and families that were destroyed. Look beyond your misguided and self centered lives and realize that there is life beyond your pathetic one.

[texasslp]

I dont understand how SO many people can live in the world the way that it is today, and NOT believe in God. Where do you find hope for a better tomorrow if you don''t have faith? I think God allows these things to happen for several reasons. One- Because we have already allowed Him, to be kicked him out of our schools and our goverment. Two- Maybe He is trying to get our attention to prove that we are not as invincable as we think we are! We are not in control, HE IS!

[quetzalcrist]

Let me see here, God loves you,
But he sends destruction to get your attention and to love him back...
Hmmm....
that is so wrong......
God does not punish anyone,
thats a flat out lie.

[missingamerica]

I dont understand how SO many people can live in the world the way that it is today, and NOT believe in God. Where do you find hope for a better tomorrow if you don''''t have faith? I think God allows these things to happen for several reasons. One- Because we have already allowed Him, to be kicked him out of our schools and our goverment. Two- Maybe He is trying to get our attention to prove that we are not as invincable as we think we are! We are not in control, HE IS!

Posted by TexasSLP at 02:08 PM : May 12, 2008

It is difficult to believe in a benevolent and wise "God" when the nation is being lead to ruin by those who, through their behavior, make plain that they worship only Mammon.

Yet they too are also worshipped by those who profess faith in "God"...false idols even on this Earth.

It is all too much hyprocrisy to swallow.

[honestabe8]

"Where do you find hope for a better tomorrow if you don''''t have faith?"
My faith is that people will eventually throw aside these concepts of god taking care of everything and do so themselves.
"God allows these things to happen for several reasons. One- Because we have already allowed Him, to be kicked him out of our schools and our goverment"
god does not belong in our schools or government. it should be taught in families, not by government. if you want schools teaching "god", send your kids to a religious school.
"We are not in control, HE IS!"
In that case, do not complain about the way things are (including secularization of schools and government) because god is in control.

[ajmystic]

I''m starting to wonder if this is how the dinosaurs went extinct. With all the tornados, earthquakes, etc. that are going on, maybe we should sit up and take notice. Mother Earth is definitely trying to tell us something. With all the economic woes factored in also, maybe we all need to step back and start living life more simply. I am definitely going to take more time to smell the roses and spend time with those I love. You never know when you might not wake up tomorrow.

[barbaraf4]

New Orleans should have rolled up the sidewalks after Katrina. The town could have been moved to higher ground and totally refurbished with the money being spent to fix the *****.

[usbrit-2009]

Where do you find hope for a better tomorrow if you don''''t have faith?

Posted by TexasSLP

A better tomorrow to me would be for all the religious nuts in the world to wake up, grow up and realize there''s no such thing as god.

[al2008-2009]

I%u2019m appalled at the governor%u2019s lack of response to the global warming thunderstorms and tornadoes. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these tornadoes, and mother earth continues to suffer while the governor%u2019s office refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.
.
How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible plans into action? How long must we wait until we beef up our corn ethanol production? At least Obama wants to cut c02 pollution by 80%; he is definitely our best hope.
.
We the people call upon the governor to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these tornadoes and storms continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these storms cease. We need action now.