Staff at one of Erie’s historic cemeteries is now picking up hundreds of branches, clearing roads, and repairing headstones after last weeks 80 mile per hour straight line winds.
The scope of this damage is massive. There are several tree roots that are taller than a typical adult in size that staff is working around the clock to clear.
Out of the 75 acres that make up the Erie Cemetery, almost half of the trees on the property have fallen as a result of last week’s storm.
The executive director of the Erie Cemetery Association says last Thursday morning, staff couldn’t get into the grounds.
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“This is way beyond anything we’ve seen. We typically, in a storm, will lose maybe a tree or maybe some significant branches in some cases but nothing like this,” said David Rinderle, executive director of the Erie Cemetery Association.
Crews have been working to clear the main routes while office staff is searching for external contractors with bids and proposals for work. The cemetery’s grounds crew is made up of only six people and with this amount of damage, Rinderle said they need the extra hands.
“The extent of the damage is really kind of unbelievable in a lot of ways that the wind could do this kind of damage,” he told us.
Rinderle pointed out the storm has left quite a bit of damage to their fencing and headstones. Some of the headstones have either been shattered, completely separating from their foundation or fully lifted up off the ground along with the roots of the trees.
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“We do have columbariums in the cemetery that are big structures. We have one of those that was completely destroyed,” he explained. “It’s not repairable. We’ll have to purchase a new one.”
Whether visitors have a loved one buried in the cemetery or are looking for a peaceful place to walk, Rinderle said several people have been calling to ask when staff will reopen the gates. For now, officials don’t have a clear answer.
While crews are working to make the cemetery safe for visitors to enter, the biggest challenge is clearing 100-year-old trees with massive root systems.
“These are ancient trees, I mean they’re 250-300 years old,” Rinderle said. “We’ll definitely replant and we’re also considering doing memorials for the trees that were lost, where we can plant a tree replacement of the same species and then put a little plaque or some symbol that would memorialize the storm of 2026.”
At the very earliest, officials are hoping to reopen sometime next week.
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