Class Action Status OK'd in Major Post-Katrina Flood Case
Source: Associated Press
A federal judge who ruled last year that the federal government is responsible for some of the flooding that hit the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina and other storms granted class-action status in the case Wednesday, meaning numerous property owners — not just the handful in the original 2005 lawsuit — could be in line for compensation.
How much money and how many properties could eventually be involved wasn't immediately clear. And the ruling made clear that nothing is imminent, pending an appeal court review.
The case centers on flooding in New Orleans' Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish blamed on the now-closed Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
The lawsuit said the construction, dredging and operation of the navigation canal, known in south Louisiana as "Mr. Go," contributed to conditions that led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Hurricane Rita weeks later and other storms. In effect, the suit argued, the flood damage caused by the canal was an illegal taking of private property by the federal government without adequate compensation.
Judge Susan Braden of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims agreed. ...
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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/class-action-status-okd-major-post-katrina-flood-38887417
By KEVIN MCGILL, ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — May 4, 2016, 7:46 PM ET
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