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Houston

Judge grants $550K for homes damaged by Harvey floodwaters

$1B in settlements expected if compensation “tests” are upheld

Houston, Hurricane Harvey
Daniel Charest (Getty, Burns Charest)

A handful of Houston homeowners whose homes were damaged by flooding during Hurricane Harvey are set to receive a chunk of change, potentially paving the way for more homeowner payouts.

Last week a federal judge ruled that six homeowners whose properties were flooded by overflow from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs on the western edge of Houston could get almost $550,000 combined, the Houston Chronicle reported.

If those six test cases are upheld, payouts totaling more than $1.6 billion are expected for about 10,000 homeowners.

After the August 2017 storm, the decades-old flood reservoirs on each side of Interstate 10 couldn’t retain floodwaters to protect nearby residents, and widespread flooding hit homes and businesses all along the western edge of the city.

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More than 1,600 businesses and homeowners came together to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, claiming the civil works service intentionally planned reservoirs to overflow and flood their properties. In 2019, U.S. Judge Charles F. Lettow ruled that government officials “knowingly and intentionally” used private property to store the rising floodwaters.

Lettow is beginning to determine exactly how much each homeowner and business is entitled to due to the damage or destruction of their properties. That’s why he chose the six homeowners to receive “test” compensation. One was granted $195,000, while another who had less damage received $1,401. The compensation works out to about $130 per square foot of flooded interior per homeowner.

“I am grateful that we have achieved this result after so much effort,” Daniel Charest, the lead counsel in the test case, told the newspaper. “These awards will be a huge help for our clients. I hope this result can help achieve as good or better results for the other upstream flood victims going forward.”

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— Victoria Pruitt