New Live Oak Cemetery remains closed as Selma preps for delicate cleanup  of tornado debris

Tornado debris cleanup in New Live Oak cemetery is another month away and the cemetery remains closed as crews work to clean up the graveyard that found itself in the path of the EF2 storm on Jan. 12.  

Visitors will have to wait a few more weeks to see their loved ones buried in the cemetery located off Dallas Avenue and funerals are still on hold as the city follows procedures to clean up the area using FEMA and historic preservation rules, cemetery director Reginald Wells told the Rotary Club of Selma on Monday in a citywide tornado relief update.  

FEMA officials toured the cemetery last week, which was an important step forward, Wells said.  

Big tree removal trucks are not allowed on the historic roads in New Live Oak Cemetery to prevent further destruction of headstones. Instead, the city put out a bid for contracts of companies skilled at delicate debris removal projects.   

There are about 70 trees down and “hanger” limbs lodged in trees that remain standing, Wells said. The root balls from large fallen trees pose a big problem because archeologists have to survey them before they are removed to make sure there aren’t any artifacts in the dirt, he said. Those archeologists aren’t expected to come to Selma until next week.  

Those uprooted trees caused a lot of damage to the roads, too, Wells said.  

“We are encouraged to say that the conclusion of this entire process is near,” Wells said in a statement to residents on Facebook. “Please continue to be patient with us as we strive to meet the challenge to restore New Live Oak Cemetery to its sacred presence.”