[gridlock]

Take a look at the Federal Tort Claims Act. It's a waiver of sovereign immunity when federal employees are negligent.

I thought the federal employee had to be grossly negligent...

In any case, these flood controls worked as designed. They protected up to a certain point, then failed. The failure mode is really irrelevant. CAT 3, you're dry as can be. CAT 4, better head out the door...

[CobaltBlue]

In any case, these flood controls worked as designed.

You might be right and you might be wrong. The engineers in the article I linked say otherwise.