Burials in UK being delayed as floods create dangerous conditions at graveyards

The Guardian (UK): The flood crisis is causing further anguish for bereaved families as wet ground is making burials impossible in the worst-hit areas. Authorities say there is little they can do about weather-related funeral delays that have been described as "absolutely abnormal". While families face the possibility of extra distress, the floods have created dangerous conditions for gravediggers.

Crematoriums have not been immune from the issue either, with one having to close for about two months due to flooding. The chief executive of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, Tim Morris, said it was "absolutely terrible for people". He said: "It's actually all around the major flooded areas."

Morris said there was "very little the burial authorities can do until the water subsides", adding: "You can imagine it's impossible to excavate a grave for a funeral where parts of the cemetery are under 2 feet of water."

Having been involved in burial and cremation for more than 30 years, Morris said he has never known cemeteries to be affected by the weather to this extent. "It's just absolutely abnormal," he said....

An emptied grave in the UK, shot by Stephen Craven, Wikimedia Commons via Geograph UK, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license