Strong winds cause damage at Payson cemetery
Jul 6, 2023, 6:39 PM | Updated: 6:42 pm
PAYSON, Utah — Payson City is still dealing with damage brought on by the microburst that hit Monday night.
Tracy Zobell, Payson’s superintendent of golf, parks, cemetery and trails said several large trees came down in the Payson City Cemetery.
“We had five big trees, mature trees that tipped over,” Zobell said. “They dislodged some of the headstones. The bigger trees smashed some of the smaller trees and shrubs.”
Zobell said around 20 headstones are in need of repairs.
“It looks like we can place them back together, we’ve already start to level some,” he said.
Some of the headstones came apart, others were moved, many are covered in debris. He said cemetery employees are working quickly on repairs.
“If there’s any major damage, obviously we’ll take care of whatever and get them back,” Zobell said.
Zobell said the microburst that hit Monday was catastrophic for many in the city.
Other residents had trees fall on their house, power lines were brought down and visibility was very limited.
He said the city is lucky no one was hurt.
His team is working on getting the cemetery back to normal in the next couple of weeks.
He said crews worked through the Independence Day holiday to get the site cleaned up for visitors and families of loved ones buried there.
“Most people don’t realize if something like this happens, and it’s not during working hours, what it takes for a lot of these individuals to leave their families and come in,” Zobell said. “I know it’s not perfect yet, but boy, they’ve worked hard and sacrificed time.”
