SWEENY, Texas-Homeowners southwest of Houston claim in a lawsuit that temporary dams erected by Phillips 66 and Phillips Chevron to protect two facilities from Harvey floodwaters caused their own land to flood.
The lawsuit filed last week in Brazoria County alleges that inflatable barricades were placed along two bayous near Sweeny in August to protect a refinery and a chemical plant from flooding.
More than 270 plaintiffs say the barricades caused floodwaters to be redirected and overrun their own land.
They say they were trapped in their homes without access to food or drinking water.
Phillips 66 says in a statement that its refinery saw flood damage and that its actions prevented material from being washed into the community. The company says the area was already flooded and that its actions did not worsen it.