Comments on: Court Approves Class Action Lawsuit Against International Paper Over 2014 Flooding

By: David Huie Green

David Huie Green — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 02:51:25 +0000

There was never a flood control dam, to the best of my knowledge. There was never a reservoir intended to store some 2.77 billion cubic feet of water, a cube of water 1388′ to the side.

To me, the interesting part is the charge of “failure to counteract continued development” which sounds like saying the houses would not have been damaged if IP had just stopped them from being built in the first place.

David for reason

By: Tina and Ben

Tina and Ben — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 19:59:19 +0000

Judge Rodgers wins. By the way, it’s not the attorney you need to be worried about, the Judge is outstanding.

IP needs to get their class act together and clean up that mess they left. I rode by there and saw it. Maintain what you constructed in a way that it works properly and prevents flooding further down the creek. Putting your problems off on someone else. As for you suehappy, dig out from under your fence and release stormwater that is flooding in your yard. The fence company levels the fence with adjoining fences and that’s what you have. A fence, not a drain system.

By: Howie

Howie — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 17:52:06 +0000

I have several Bristol Park friends and a few are employees at IP. There are condemned homes that can not be sold and a home up for auction. WHY, because the homeowners were not in a flood zone. Do you think people just go out and buy flood insurance if they are told it is not a flood zone? I certainly would not. Our county is the not the brightest bulb when it comes to decisions, repairing, constructing drainage and figuring out what exactly needs to be done. So they say it is repaired now to prevent flooding. We will see. It flooded in 2004 and again in 2014. Only twice of this magnitude in 50+ years. So go figure, the water was coming from somewhere other than a natural creek. The neighborhood HOA is not responsible for maintaining flood water in their subdivision. Remember, they are not in a flood zone. I saw a pump station located at the back of the area and a good possibility it was not working properly or at all, and maybe not large enough to handle that much water. So put the blame on the pump station and the maintenance team that is assigned to it.

Further research by visiting the website My Escambia Flood Plain Management and educate yourselves on the County’s Flood and Stormwater maps and restoration needs for the Eleven Mile Creek watershed and basin.

I’m not in favor of lawsuits, but if you deserve it, go for it. This subdivision should have been deemed as a flood zone years ago.

By: Grand Locust

Grand Locust — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 02:43:12 +0000

The certification of a class makes no statement as to whether there was negligence on the part of the Mill. It simplifies the litigation. Engineers will determine ultimately if there was negligence, or an Act of God. Blaming potential victims seems to be a cottage industry in the panhandle. Roads are regularly getting washed out at culverts and it has increased significantly in the last ten years, as taxpayers seem to reinforce the idea that mistakes are never made, and repeated wash outs are an act of God or poor engineering. I know how I would vote. Stop doing things on the cheap. It ends up costing way more than doing it right the first time.

By: DavidRappa

DavidRappa — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 02:40:59 +0000

If you do not know the facts of the lawsuit, don’t guess and show your ineptness on the lawsuit.

By: melodies4us

melodies4us — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 02:06:08 +0000

The flood caused the erosion . Are we blaming the railroads for all of the tract washouts that occurred in less than 30 minutes into the downpour? International Paper does a lot for our community. This is clearly a case of blaming the rich guy cause you can.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 20:19:18 +0000

Maps are a thing that exists and clearly there is a creek right next to these homes..what should one come to expect

By: high and dry

high and dry — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 17:09:33 +0000

Fyi – the dam was there first. Why don’t the homeowners accept responsibility for living next to a creek downstream from a dam?

By: Jr

Jr — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 16:50:53 +0000

Those subdivisions are very close to a creek. Water tends to flow downhill. It appears to slope a bit, toward the creek.
Me personally, I would not have purchased a home in that area.

By: Suehappy

Suehappy — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 12:14:12 +0000

Just another frivolous lawsuit and an attorney who went out looking for a way to make money off a natural disaster. Unable to go after the people responsible for maintaining the drainage and watershed in the area because they are already out of business or it was the neighborhood HOA responsible for this. I lived in a neighborhood northeast of Bristol Park and got the same 25 inches of rain that they received and was in a non-flood zone as well. Water backed up into the back of my house and I had water damage as well. I guess maybe I should sue the privacy fence company that install my fence for not allowing for proper drainage of the water as well. Maybe J.J. Talbott could help me with this. It’s unfortunate but a natural disaster that could not have been foreseen.