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Efforts ongoing in state to recover caskets displaced by Hurricane Laura

displaced caskets cameron parish 1.jpg
Posted at 8:55 AM, Sep 25, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-25 09:55:16-04

The Louisiana Department of Justice is continuing its efforts to recover, identify and return the caskets of Louisiana residents to their final resting places.

The Attorney General's Office says that numerous cemeteries were damaged and gravesites disrupted in many of the state's western parishes after Hurricane Laura made landfall on August 27.

A recovery effort has been ongoing since that time with crews working to locate, gather and identify those displaced caskets and vaults.

Efforts have also included documenting damaged tombstones and even returning human remains to their appropriate places, the AG's Office said.

“Coordinating the recovery, repairs, and funding can be a slow process; but it has begun and we are working with our great partners from all of the affected parishes to ensure Louisiana’s deceased are taken care of properly and respectfully,” said AG Jeff Landry.

Anyone needing assistance with locating or repairing a family member's grave displaced due to Hurricane Laura is asked to contact the Attorney General's Office at 225-326-6056 or email cemeterytaskforce@ag.louisiana.gov.

The Louisiana Wing of Civil Air Patrol said earlier this month that they have been tasked with helping the Cameron Parish coroner's office find caskets displaced during flooding caused by Laura.

The Air Patrol photographed damage at 26 cemeteries and then turned the images over to parish officials.

Airboats and marsh buggies were then used to retrieve any caskets that were displaced.

Read more about the Air Patrol's mission: Air patrol helps Cameron Parish locate caskets displaced by storm

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