What will the effect of the recent flooding in Cumbria be on cemeteries?
(Anne from Carlisle) A. I think the flooding in itself won’t have much effect, however, the heavy rainfall will change ground water levels and this could stop burials – it wouldn’t seem right to be lowering someone into a flooded grave. Cemetery sites are chosen carefully to avoid this. Q. Is the problem of falling tombstones worse in the North East and Cumbria where weather conditions are harsher in winter? Does the weather have any impact on the stability of gravestones? (David from Cumbria) A. The weather does not really have a significant effect, although memorials can be blown over, vandalism and accidents are the most common reason for memorials toppling. Wind forces depend upon the region of the country, whether the cemetery has an open aspect and whether the cemetery is in a valley or on a hilltop. Typically in the NE and Cumbria, the wind applies a force of about a tenth of a ton per square metre. This is the maximum force which a storm recurring every 50 years will apply. Cre
