Sunday May 11, 2008 at 11:48
The Death of Picher, OK
On the afternoon of May 10, 2008, the Associated Press published an in-depth article about how pollution had virtually killed Picher, a small town in Oklahoma.
The first words in the article were, “They could pass for mourners at a funeral.”
The piece went on to state, “People are leaving, escaping the reality of life in one of the worst environmental nightmares in the country. A voluntary federal buyout is hastening the exodus.”
“We cry every day,” said Picher resident Louise Blalock to the reporter. “It’s like a death, really.”
A few hours after that article was published on the Web, Mother Nature took the cue and made the town’s death official. A twister struck Picher, killing 6, destroying the south end of town. All in all, it was the worst tornadic event in nearly 9 years.
I guess it’s no longer an issue of townsfolk ‘passing’ for mourners at a funeral. The earth will be turned, debris cleaned, the mourning focused, made concrete.
