Fifteen gravesites at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery have been repaired after a 100-year-old tree toppled on them during an El Nino windstorm.
The 50-foot tree uprooted headstones, damaged a vault and exposed one urn -- though that was not damaged -- at the Point Loma cemetery on Feb. 1.
“We've had trees come down in the cemetery, but none to the extent that it uprooted flat markers and headstones,” said Michael J. Munnerlyn, the cemetery’s assistant director.
Gusts of up to 60 miles per hour aided in the devastation at Fort Rosecrans Cemetery and across the county.
Contractors fully restored the gravesites this week. They had to cut the tree into pieces to haul it away, and Munnerlyn said it is amazing the tree didn't do more damage.
Workers were only able to contact families for two of the people buried under the damaged sites. One of those families visited the gravesite, thanking crews for the quick repairs.
