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500 Randolph Street, Charleston, West Virginia 25302

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800.876.5529
304.400.6558

Flash Flooding Damage Claims in West Virginia

Charleston law firm recovers compensation from negligent corporations

According to FEMA, flash floods kill more people in the United States than any other weather-related event. However, this dangerous situation is not always tied to an act of God, but can also occur because of the negligent actions of a corporation.

Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC in Charleston has focused exclusively on recovery for personal injury and property damage since our founding in 1976. If your property and life were put at risk because of flash flooding, we aggressively pursue the corporations responsible.

Dangers of flash flooding

Flash flooding can occur when a dam breaks, a levee fails, a hillside collapses, rain persists or snow melts suddenly. These events can cause rising stream waters or mudslides without warning. The raging waters may wreak severe damage to property. In fact, powerful flash floods can move boulders, tear out trees and decimate buildings. The rapid nature of a flash flood leaves people in its way little opportunity to escape, putting them at risk of drowning or being struck by the debris churning in its waters. Although a natural event can cause or contribute to flash flooding, often a man-made condition is responsible.

Industries that cause flash flood risks

The damage caused by the mining, timbering and power industries, combined with the rolling terrain and flowing rivers of West Virginia, create the ideal conditions for a flash flood. Negligence by corporations in these industries is often the catalyst:

  • Mining — Hydraulic mining uses high-pressure water jets to dislodge and transport coal slurry. The resulting water and sediment is carried downstream and eventually deposited in riverbeds. Rain or snowmelt can cause substantial water to build up behind these newly formed sediment dams that suddenly can overflow in a flash flood.
  • Timbering — Tree roots and undergrowth are essential to hold soil in place along hillsides and mountains. During a heavy rainstorm, plants keep the ground stable and secure. Excessive logging that produces bare soil on a steep slope puts lower lying areas at risk of mudslide damage.
  • Hydroelectric power — Dams are used in the hydroelectric power production process. The National Flood Insurance Program estimates that more than one-third of our country’s dams are more than 50 years old and about 14,000 of these pose high or significant risk to life and property. These concrete barriers stop millions of tons of water from naturally flowing. If the dam breaks, the flash flooding is sudden and immense.

Your home and your life are placed at risk by corporations that seek profits at all costs. If your property was damaged because of the operations of a corporation, our law firm is ready to file a nuisance lawsuit to recover damages.

Consult our lawyers to file a nuisance claim for property damage caused by flash flooding

For more information about your rights to recover compensation for property damaged by a flash flood, call Calwell Luce diTrapano PLLC at 304.400.6558 or contact our Charleston law firm online to schedule an appointment.