JOHNSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Highland Memorial Park Cemetery has launched a new community-based initiative to restore its landscape after a tornado swept through in 2023 , uprooting trees and devastating the grounds.
When cemetery president Joseph Swift returned to work after the tornado rolled through, he was shocked.
“It was devastating. It was unbelievable,” Swift recalled. “I couldn’t believe it. I had never seen anything like it.”
BACKGROUND: Johnston cemetery disturbed by powerful tornado
Dozens of trees were toppled or completely snapped in half. The damage is still visible in the park more than a year later.
“What I’m trying to do is replace as many trees as we can and as many gardens as we can, because most of these trees were 100 to 125 years old that just got literally ripped out of the ground,” Swift explained.
The cemetery hopes to restore its roots by launching a memorial tree garden program.