US Deep Freeze Leaves Gravediggers Struggling to Bury Dead

Along with creating hazardous driving conditions, delaying flights and prompting school closures, the bitter winter weather faced by much of the United States in recent weeks has also impacted local cemeteries.

Why It Matters

In many areas, the ground is entirely frozen, making digging graves challenging and time-consuming. This occurs during a season when the number of deaths is usually at its peak.

Winter weather and rare winter storms hit a swath of the Southern U.S. this week, with the NWS issuing winter storm warnings and even blizzard warnings in multiple states.

What To Know

As the Arctic polar vortex pushed frigid winds across the country, this winter has been particularly challenging, Michael Shukwit, director of operations at Michigan’s Elmwood Cemetery, told Newsweek.

Special equipment must be employed to remove frost from the ground so graves can be more easily dug. Shukwit says a high-powered torch is used to thaw the frozen ground, making it easier for the machinery to operate effectively.

The weather also affects the ability to find a suitable location for laying someone to rest.

While it’s easy to spot a plot in the summer months when the ground is clear, it can be more challenging when snow blankets the ground, which can obscure the location of headstones and occupied plots.

This week, the U.S. South experienced what forecasters have dubbed a “historic” winter storm that broke records in Florida and Louisiana.

What People Are Saying

Michael Shukwit, director of operations at Elmwood Cemetery in Michigan, told Newsweek: “The problem is when there’s no snow cover and it gets cold, the frost goes down. When there’s snow cover, it acts like a blanket of insulation and keeps the frost out of the ground. It makes it easier for us to dig.

“Cold weather, no snow—much more difficult and time-consuming because now you add half a day/four hours to each job…because now we have to get the frost out of the ground first.”

What Happens Next

Winter weather-related alerts, such as freeze warnings and cold weather advisories, are currently in place for multiple states nationwide, including Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New York, Michigan, and the Carolinas.

The NWS has said temperatures are expected to slowly return to normal by Friday into the weekend.

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