By Will Robinson, Reporter, Jacksonville Business Journal; September 24, 2018
Citizens of Lumberton, North Carolina filed a class-action Monday suit against Jacksonville-based CSX Corp. (Nasdaq: CSX) claiming that the railroad’s negligence and willful misconduct caused mass flooding that resulted in evacuations and property damage. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, seeks relief of more than $5 million.
Lumberton’s defenses against the Lumber River failed when Hurricane Florence caused historic flooding across North Carolina – specifically, they failed at a CSX underpass, where there is a gap in city levees, according to the suit. A CSX underpass “was a point of vulnerability” that the city sought to shore up well in advance of the hurricane’s arrival, but CSX refused to allow access, the suit contends.
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