VA to fix flooding problem at Raleigh National Cemetery

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— The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking several steps to fix flooding issues that leave dozens of headstones in the cemetery swamped with water and mud after heavy rains.

A low brick wall along the edge of the cemetery, at 501 Rock Quarry Road, has become a de facto dam, allowing rainwater to collect in the southeast corner.

Ronald Walters, the VA’s acting undersecretary for memorial affairs, said maintenance crews now routinely pump out water following rainstorms, and two trees have been removed from the area to plant grass and improve natural drainage.

The VA’s National Cemetery Administration also is designing a new stormwater system for the affected portion of the cemetery, Walters said. The project should be completed by the end of September, he said.

“Families of the veterans and our entire community visit this cemetery to pay their respects to the brave men and women who have served our country,” 2nd District Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who complained to Walters about the flooding, said in a statement. “I am committed to the upkeep of our memorials, and I am grateful for the VA’s thoughtful response to this issue. I look forward to a new design to ensure we never encounter this problem again.”