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North Carolina residents file lawsuit against CSX, blames company for massive flooding

The lawsuit alleges that CSX knew that their underpass was a point of vulnerability for major flooding, ignored reports warning for the need of a permanent floodgate, and refused city officials' pleas for permission to build a temporary sandbag barrier to protect against the flooding Florence was expected to bring.

Residents in Lumberton, North Carolina are suing railroad giant CSX saying a railroad underpass contributed to the flooding that put homes and lives in danger during Hurricane Florence.

The lawsuit alleges that CSX knew that their underpass was a point of vulnerability for major flooding, ignored reports warning for the need of a permanent floodgate, and refused city officials’ pleas for permission to build a temporary sandbag barrier to protect against the flooding Florence was expected to bring.

The lawsuit also alleges that CSX told Lumberton city officials that anyone attempting to stem the flooding or place sandbags at their underpass would be considered a trespasser and threatened to sue. The suit says CSX also failed to attend flood mitigation meetings in the weeks leading up to Florence.

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper did issue an emergency order allowing a temporary sandbag berm to be constructed across CSX’s underpass the day Florence made landfall in North Carolina, and volunteers, city officials, and the national guard began constructing it - according to the lawsuit. That berm broke just days later.

Lumberton has been called “one of the poorest populations in what is arguably the least developed part of the state,” and hundreds of people who live there have been displaced. The lawsuit says at the time of the filing, much of Lumberton is still underwater.

The lawsuit claims this is not a new issue to CSX. It says this same underpass flooded during Hurricane Matthew back in 2016, where one person was killed and 1,500 people were displaced.

There are five people listed on the lawsuit, who are filing on behalf of themselves and all others affected. The lawsuit's claim exceeds $5,000,000.

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