Anthony residents concerned over damage to cemeteries caused by heavy rains

ANTHONY, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Severe storms and heavy rains that hit the border area this week caused several damage across the region, including at the Anthony Community Center.

Recent damage at a cemetery left sunken burial plots, standing floodwater and muddy terrain across the grounds.

Visitors arrived at the cemetery to check on family members following reports of storm damage. The rainfall left several headstones displaced, prompting calls for cleanup and repairs.

Estela Colbert, an El Paso resident, traveled to the cemetery with her husband, Robin Colbert, to check on family members. Colbert has parents and siblings buried at the site. While her parents' graves were not sunken, Colbert voiced concern regarding uncompleted cleanup efforts across the grounds.

“We were concerned that we live in El Paso and we came to check on our loved ones. I have my parents here and some siblings,” Colbert said. “But we see the damage on a lot of the plots and just nothing to be done to get it cleaned up.”

Colbert added that seeing damaged burial sites belonging to friends was particularly distressing.

“It makes me feel very sad because I have also friends here that have passed on and to see them, you know, they're lapping us just laying there and stuff; it's heartbreaking, it's very heartbreaking,” Colbert said.

Local volunteers are also offering assistance to help fix damaged areas. Javier Barrios, the president of the Anthony Lions Club, has worked at the cemetery for nearly 30 years. Barrios said he is willing to help with maintenance and called on community members to assist.

“We want to have a lot of work in these days. And if you come and help us, it's going to be easier for everybody,” Barrios said.

The Anthony Lions Club is inviting anyone who would like to help to go to the Anthony Catholic Cemetery Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Maintenance personnel are actively working to lift sunken headstones and restabilize grave sites. Christopher Nañez, the cemetery's special projects manager outlined the physical steps needed to reset displaced markers.

“Just basically, the headstone has sunk to the point of about a foot and we pull it out, level the ground and then set the headstone back,” Nañez said.

Cemetery staff are pre-planning measures to prevent similar incidents next week, as more rain is forecast to hit the borderland region.

He added that if anyone has any concerns or their loved ones' graves were damaged, they can report them at 575-519-5986.