City of Mesa settles with more than 130 residents after their homes flooded in 2014

MESA, Ariz. - More than 5 years after major flooding damaged about 200 homes in Mesa, a settlement was reached, with the city paying about 130 residents a total of $1.6 million.

But, residents are still recovering from the flood.

Russell Roberts only feels anger and remembers what September 8, 2014 meant for his life, after what many called the “storm of the century.”

The historic flood damaged about two hundred homes in 2015, and more than 130 residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Mesa and the Arizona Department of Transportation blaming officials for purposely diverting floodwater from the Emerald Park retention basin into their neighborhood.

Keith Hendricks, with Moyes, Sellers & Hendricks, is the class-action lawsuit's lead attorney. He says the residents affected couldn't buy flood insurance if they wanted to because their homes weren't in a flood zone.

He hopes drainage improvements made by the city and county will prevent what happened in 2014.

Meanwhile, Roberts has been able to keep his properties, but at a cost. He's gone through his savings to do it and says no amount can repair the turmoil he's lived through.

The city of Mesa released a statement, saying in part, "The plaintiffs and their legal counsel will be responsible for distributing the settlement funds. This settlement not only resolved the lawsuit most importantly it provides compensation and assistance to residents whose property was damaged by the flood."

The legal battle against the state continues, and the trail may have a start date around fall.