Noah’s Ark suing insurance for $1 million water damage

Noah's Ark may have survived an epic flood but the owners of a replica wooden ship in Kentucky appear to have been less fortunate. Ark Encounter, situated in Williamstown, is a large representation of Noah's Ark based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible.

However, the biblical theme park ironically suffered serious damage by heavy rain in 2017 and 2018. The torrential rain caused a landslide that surrounded the park's access road – rendering it unfit and unsafe for use. It has also been reported that there was some structural damage to the support for the roadway.

The water damage has since been repaired however the insurance company refused to pay for all costs involved. Instead, it has been said that they have only paid a 'small proportion' of the claim to cover the theme park's losses during repair and maintenance. It has been reported that the insurers have denied liability for the full amount and argue that the damage was in part due to faulty workmanship and flaws in the design.

As a result, the owners of the Ark Encounter are suing their insurance company for breaching their coverage policy obligations and acting with "oppression, fraud and malice".

"Ark Encounter, which is suing insurance carriers over coverage for rain-related damages to the property. The company is seeking to recoup what it says were $1 million worth of repairs, as well as attorneys' fees and costs, and an unspecified amount of punitive damages." – The Washington Post

The park first opened in July 2016 and has had a lot of attention for visitors year on year. The life-sized art exhibit aims to recreate biblical history with a total length of 510 feet (equal to the length of 1.5 American football fields). The Ark attracts approximately 2.2 million visitors a year and has a number of exhibits including a theatre and zoo.

Sheffield Solicitors