Storm 2006 Damage To Cemetery Worries Families

EL PASO, TX. – Many viewers have contacted ABC-7, concerned about the damage sustained at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Storm 2006.

Viewer Blanca Martinez writes:

Officials with Mt. Carmel Cemetery tell ABC-7 nearly 150 gravesites sank into the earth when about 8-inches of rain poured down; about 1-inch more than El Paso County’s annual rainfall.

When ABC-7 arrived at the cemetery, the Ponce family was searching for a loved one’s gravesite, but were unable to find it.

Amember of the family spoke withABC-7, but didn’t want to go on camera. The family member said, “Today is my mother’s birthday we came a week ago to find her headstone but we couldn’t find it was buried under a lot of debris so right now we are trying to locate her…”

The Ponce family explained that right after the storms they weren’t able to get to the area, asit was closed down, possibly dueto the earth being so saturated with water.

Now that the water has gone away, crews are leveling the land and then will put the headstones back in place.

Crews are now matching each name on the headstones to a master grid. They add that they hope to have all gravesites back in order by Tuesday.