FERNLEY, Nev. — Eight years, dozens of lawyers, and hundreds of thousands of documents later, more than 200 northern Nevada flood victims are finally going to be paid for damages suffered when a century-old irrigation canal burst and sent a wall of water into their homes in 2008.

No one was killed or seriously injured but 590 homes in Fernley were flooded when water burst through a 50-foot breach in the canal’s earthen embankment on Jan. 5, 2008.

A 2-foot-tall wave swamped the neighborhood and water collected 8 feet deep in some parts of the rural town 30 miles east of Reno. More than a dozen residents were rescued from rooftops by helicopter, while others were taken to safety by boats.

Judy Kroshus was the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit that the local irrigation district recently agreed to settle for $18.1 million.

The $18.1 million settlement includes about $7.8 million in attorney fees and expenses.

Associated Press