Reeling from catastrophic flooding after Hurricane Harvey, Flood Victims of Richwood was founded in 2017, dedicated to environmental justice and protection for the community of Richwood, TX, and surrounding areas in Brazoria County. Their goal is to ensure that preventable flooding, like that experienced in the aftermath of Harvey, never again devastates the community. Many residents of Richwood had never flooded before the storm and found themselves with upwards of 3 feet of water in their homes. Residents claim that in the aftermath of the storm, the nearby City of Lake Jackson used a combination of pumps and sandbags to divert floodwaters into Richwood and surrounding areas of the county. The water inundated neighborhoods and mobile home parks, severely damaging homes and personal property. Spearheaded by Flood Victims of Richwood, over 400 residents have joined a lawsuit to demand that the City of Lake Jackson take responsibility for the flooding and compensate for damages.
Flooding of Kevin and Irma McKinney’s home after Hurricane Harvey. Photo: Kevin McKinney
Kevin and Irma McKinney’s home after Hurricane Harvey.
Led by resident Kevin McKinney, Flood Victims of Richwood represents homeowners, tenants, and business owners to ensure that all voices, especially those most affected by environmental mismanagement, are heard, and represented. To that end, in 2018 they filed Ricky Adaway, et al vs. City of Lake Jackson, et al, alleging that in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Lake Jackson and Velasco Drainage District officials closed a flood gate, constructed a temporary dam with sandbags and used pumps to keep flood water out of Lake Jackson, causing it to flood the plaintiffs’ homes in Richwood. Through Flood Victims of Richwood’s connection with A2 and the Thriving Earth Exchange, expert scientist Dr. Steve Emerman has provided invaluable scientific insights and served as an expert witness in court. In May of 2024, the case was heard in the Court of Appeals in Houston and is in the discovery stage as of August. After seven years of advocacy, the Flood Victims of Richwood’s case in finally underway so that they may secure accountability and compensation for the damages caused by improper flood management actions by local authorities.