Can you imagine having to leave your community because the your house, air, and water is contaminated with a deadly poison? That was the reality for residents of Picher, Oklahoma. In 2006, this town was declared to be so dangerous to human life that it was evacuated and left to quietly rot. Read on to learn why Picher was abandoned, and be sure to check out the chilling footage of the eerily preserved town as it stands today.
Picher was once the site of a massive lead and zinc mine. Huge mountains of “chat” – a mining byproduct – dotted the landscape of the town.
YouTube/This Is Dan Bell
In the 1990s, a local teacher began to notice cognitive problems in a large number of the town’s students. In 1996, screening results showed that 34% of children in Picher tested positive for lead poisoning.
YouTube/This Is Dan Bell
The state issued a mandatory evacuation of Picher in 2006. Today, the town is considered far too toxic to for human habitation.
YouTube/This Is Dan Bell
The exploration video shows the chilling remnants of life in Picher.
YouTube/This Is Dan Bell
I can’t imagine learning that I’d been living in a place that was slowly poisoning me and my family. So much of the town has been left as it was at the time of the evacuation. Check out the footage below:
YouTube/This Is Dan Bell
Video Credit : Youtube / This Is Dan Bell.
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