McClatchy Washington Bureau

PICHER, Okla. — A tornado Saturday night dealt what could be the final blow to Picher, a once-thriving town of 20,000 just across the borders from Kansas and Missouri that became a federal government Superfund clean-up site because of lead pollution. About 800 still live there.

“I’ve lived here all my life and I said I’d never move, but I will now,” said Ellis Jones, 68, said Monday as he picked through the tangled debris of his former home. The tornado killed six of his fellow residents and plucked Jones’ mobile home from its gravel pad and slammed it into houses and trees on the other side of the street.

More than 100 houses and dozens of cars were demolished in the town.

Read the full story at KansasCity.com.