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September 25, 2012

In Reversal, Appeals Court Rules Army Corps Immune in Katrina Flooding Suit 
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A federal appeals court has reversed its own decision finding the Army
Corps of Engineers partially liable for the flooding that devastated New
Orleans during Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. In March, the Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a 2009 ruling that "monumental
negligence" by the Army Corps of Engineers led to the severe flooding
that ravaged New Orleans in the aftermath of the storm. The ruling
marked the first time the government had been held responsible for any
of the flooding that devastated New Orleans and could have paved the way
for legal action on behalf of thousands of residents. But on Monday, the
Court of Appeals changed course, ruling that the government is immune
from liability.

 

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