Editing Picher, Oklahoma (section)

===Tornado===
{{Main|2008 Picher–Neosho tornado}}
On May 10, 2008, Picher was struck by an [[EF4]] [[tornado]].<ref name=":0" /> There were six confirmed deaths, possibly including one child, and many other people injured. The tornado first touched down near the [[Kansas]]–Oklahoma border in Oklahoma southwest of [[Chetopa, Kansas]], and tracked eastward. It struck Picher, causing extensive damage to 20 blocks of the city, with houses and businesses destroyed or flattened.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |publisher=KTUL| access-date=2008-05-11 | url=http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0508/518665.html| title=Six Dead, 150 Injured After Tornado Levels Town Of Picher |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080514113249/http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0508/518665.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-05-14}}</ref> At least 150 people were injured in Picher alone. The tornado continued eastward, passing just north of [[Quapaw, Oklahoma|Quapaw]] and [[Peoria, Oklahoma|Peoria]] before crossing [[Interstate 44]] into [[Missouri]]. [[Governor of Oklahoma|Oklahoma Governor]] [[Brad Henry]] sent [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] troops as well as emergency personnel to assist the hardest hit area in Picher.<ref name="KOTV-2008-05-12">[http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=8306515&nav=menu682_2 "Tornado Death Toll Increases In Picher"]. - KOTV.com - May 12, 2008</ref> Loss of power from the tornado forced the city to go on a boiled water notice. Staff from the [[Rural Water|Oklahoma Rural Water Association]] arrived to assist, since the utility's testing equipment was destroyed by the storm. With an emergency generator to supply power, rural water staff had the system running normally only two days after the tornado struck.<ref>{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Rural Water assists Picher after tornado strikes |url=http://nrwa.org/NRWAupdates/2008%2006%20June/Picher%20Tornado.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102181711/http://nrwa.org/NRWAupdates/2008%2006%20June/Picher%20Tornado.htm |archive-date=2011-01-02 |access-date=2008-05-23 |publisher=[[National Rural Water Association]]}}</ref>

Given the existing plan to vacate the city, the federal government decided against aid to rebuild homes, and the buyouts continued as previously scheduled, with people being assisted in relocation.<ref name="EvansM-AP-2008-05-13">Evans, Murry. - Weather: [https://web.archive.org/web/20140806133648/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24603128/ "Rebuilding unlikely in Okla. town"]. - [[Associated Press]]. - (c/o NBC News) - May 13, 2008</ref>