Tornadoes ripped through nation's heartland today, killing at least 19 people in Oklahoma and Missouri and leaving a wide swath of destruction, AP reports. Seven people were killed in the small mining town of Picher, Okla., and another 12 were killed in southwest Missouri, officials said. Oklahoma rescuers were working to free people trapped in their wrecked homes. Tornadoes also struck Arkansas, but no deaths have been reported. (More tornado stories.)