Victims Seek Big Money From Feds For Katrina Damages

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Victims of Hurricane Katrina are asking Uncle Sam to pony up some big money – really big.

Almost half a million claims have been filed against the federal government over damage stemming from breaks in levees following the 2005 hurricane.

The Army Corps of Engineers says it has received 247 claims seeking at least a billion apiece – and one for three quadrillion dollars

A Baton Rouge economist calls it “the mother of all high numbers.” He says it reflects a strategy by plaintiffs to “aim high and negotiate down.”

Officials say it came from a Louisiana town where hundreds of evacuees have lived since the storm.

The Corps says it takes “every single claim seriously.”