AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta Parks and Recreation Department, alongside officials from the Mayor’s Office, recently provided an update on the reopening of Magnolia, Cedar Grove, and Westview cemeteries during a West Augusta Alliance meeting. These cemeteries, which suffered extensive damage during the recent hurricane, have been closed to the public for several weeks, leaving many residents unable to visit the graves of their loved ones.

Some community members voiced their concerns at the meeting, expressing frustration over the lack of access to the cemeteries. However, officials assured the public that the sites will be fully reopened in the coming weeks.

Tameka Williams, Director of the Augusta Parks and Recreation Department, addressed the crowd, explaining that the city is taking all necessary steps to ensure the cemeteries are safe for visitors once they are reopened. “We’re making sure that the areas are safe,” Williams said. “We need to be able to have individuals come in once we’re ready to open back up in the upcoming weeks. We’ll also be blocking off areas that are still unsafe for public access.”

Mayor Garnett Johnson also spoke at the meeting, acknowledging the severity of the damage caused by the hurricane. He encouraged patience from the community, explaining that the city’s primary focus has been on cleaning up the storm debris throughout Augusta-Richmond County. “Our cemeteries were severely damaged as a result of the hurricane,” Mayor Johnson said. “We’ve asked that they just exhibit some patience as our primary focus was cleaning up our city.”

In addition to addressing the damage, Mayor Johnson mentioned that the city has been working closely with FEMA to secure reimbursement for the costs of tree removal and debris cleanup. However, he noted that in order to comply with FEMA’s strict guidelines for reimbursement, some progress at the cemeteries has had to be paused.

“We must follow these guidelines to ensure that we meet the requirements for reimbursement,” Johnson explained. “This is necessary to receive federal funding to support our cleanup efforts.”

While the cemeteries have been closed for an extended period, officials are optimistic that, with the necessary safety measures in place, they will soon be accessible again to the families and loved ones waiting to return to the sites.