A lawsuit involving more than 400 Fort Bend County homeowners blames an engineering firm's faulty design for severe flooding during Hurricane Harvey.
Attorney Brian Vines says a faulty design by Costello, Inc. removed a crucial flood control levee that would have saved the Riverstone development:
"At some point that levee was removed, and houses are now where that levee used to be. But once that levee was removed it allowed the water from (LID) 15 to drain into LID 19."
Costello, Inc. was founded by former Houston City Councilman Steve Costello, who is now Mayor Sylvester Turner's Chief Resilience Officer, or "Flood Czar" .
Sarah and Brett Thompson live in Riverstone:
"The water outside was rising very, very, very quickly."
"...So high that we had to really plow through the water; and even drive on our neighbors' front yards to get out."
The homeowners are seeking damages for their loss.