Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Donate today to give back in celebration of all that #PublicMediaGives. Your contribution will be matched $1 for $1.

Digging For Uprooted History In A Savannah Cemetery

A tree removal crew moves grave markers that were disrupted when Hurricane Matthew uprooted a large sweet gum tree. Once the stump is gone, city officials say it will take a lot of research to restore the monuments. (Emily Jones/GPB)
A tree removal crew moves grave markers that were disrupted when Hurricane Matthew uprooted a large sweet gum tree. Once the stump is gone, city officials say it will take a lot of research to restore the monuments. (Emily Jones/GPB)

When a natural disaster like a hurricane or tornado hits, there’s often a lot of cleanup that comes afterward. In cemeteries and historic places, the damage can extend underground if uprooted trees tear up buried artifacts or even human remains.

Emily Jones (@ejreports) of Here & Now contributor Georgia Public Broadcasting went along with a crew in Savannah that’s looking for unearthed history from last fall’s Hurricane Matthew.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.