Experts Testify on Violence of Katrina's Winds

By William Murphy

Published on July 17, 2006

Police Lt. Paul Leonard and his wife Julie are seeking about $158,000 from Nationwide for Katrina-caused damage to their Pascagoula home. Nationwide says that Katrina's floodwaters were responsible for the damage and that because the Leonards had no flood insurance, the damage was not covered. In their suit the Leonards contend that wind caused much of the destruction and that a Nationwide agent misled them about their coverage.

Texas-based engineer Peter de la Mora said Katrina's winds caused structural damage to the Leonard's residence, including the roof and garage, before floodwaters destroyed other portions of the home.

U.S. Air Force–trained forensic meteorologist Rocco Calachi of Florida testified that hurricane-force winds battered the Mississippi coast for several hours prior to Katrina's storm surge.

Nationwide attorneys disputed de la Mora's credibility based on two reprimands he received from the Texas Board of Engineers. The attorneys also objected to Calachi's designation as an expert witness because Calachi did not present anything specific to the Leonards' house. Nationwide spokesman Joe Case said that Calachi had only shown that Mississippi suffered bad weather on August 29, 2005.

The case is being heard by U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. No jury is present.

Comment on this article →