OAKLAND, Fla. – A historic Oakland cemetery flooded after a rainstorm overnight into Monday morning brought at least 4 inches of rain.
Aerial views of the Oakland-Tildenville Cemetery off State Road 50 shows gravestones completely or partially submerged in water.
According to Oakland officials, the town recorded 4.14 inches of rainfall Sunday night, including 3 inches between 8 and 9 p.m. The town also experienced significant flash flooding Sunday night causing some unpaved rounds to wash out.
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“Pulte, the owner of the neighboring development and adjacent road, is currently pumping water from the cemetery. Town staff is on scene offering emergency assistance to the developer,” Oakland Administrative Services Manager Elisha Pappacoda said in an email to News 6. “Due to the serious and sensitive nature of this flooding issue, the Town has called upon the developer to swiftly work on a permanent solution. Pulte Homes has expressed it is committed to providing a permanent solution to the flooding.”
Pappacoda said on top of the rain from Sunday the burial grounds were already been saturated with more than 4 inches of rain in the past month.
Editor’s note: The story originally stated the flooding occurred at Oakland’s historic African American cemetery at 16798 W. Colonial Drive but the cemetery was unaffected. Flooding was only reported at the Oakland-Tildenville Cemetery. Both burial grounds are near S.R. 50 in Oakland.