Federal officials to assess Picher damage

NEWS 9

Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency David Paulison will be touring Picher Tuesday to asses the damage after a tornado killed at least seven people over the weekend and left the town in ruins. Governor Henry will be in Picher with the federal officials. 

Henry said he has been in touch with the president and the two talked about speeding up the buyout process in Picher. 

Six of the seven people who died in the tornado that hit Picher have been publicly identified. The seventh died of carbon monoxide poisoning, but the name has not yet been released.

"We are here for them and we want to remember them. We ask that people across the country do the same thing." Capt. Chris West with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.

Picher schools will be closed for the rest of the year. The Picher-Cardin School was not directly hit by the tornado, but the Superintendent said he wants families to be together at this time.