A class action lawsuit has been filed, against Grand River Dam Authority, by residents of Ottawa County, Oklahoma who have suffered millions of dollars worth of property damage due to flooding. The suit is seeking damages from the state-owned Grand River Dam utility. It is estimated that nearly 400 citizens of that county are affected.
The claims stem from flooding that occurred in the area in July 2007, which caused up to $40 million in property damage in Miami and other areas of the county. It has already been determined that the Grand River Dam Authority, in its operation of the Pensacola Dam, causes a backwater effect that results in additional duration and elevation of floodwaters.
This latest class action is similar to an earlier suit filed against the authority in the 1990s, and which was only recently resolved. In that suit, more than 100 plaintiffs alleged that the operation of the Pensacola Dam by the Authority resulted in flood damage to their properties.
