Two Des Moines homeowners claim Hubbell Realty Co. improperly built their homes, causing water to inundate their basements during a late June storm.

In a lawsuit, Thomas and Amy Donnelly allege Hubbell and its contractor, McClure Engineering Co., failed to properly develop their Wakonda Living townhomes to prevent flooding, built the homes in an area they knew would flood, and constructed them without proper protections against storm water runoff.

Thomas and Amy Donnelly own two townhomes bordering the Wakonda Club at 1616 Park Ave. and 1700 Park Ave. Co-plaintiff Katherine Donnelly rents one of the properties from them.

The Donnellys claim to have specifically asked about flooding when purchasing the homes in the fall of 2017, and were assured the development "did not, and would not, have any water issues," the lawsuit says. The properties are in a low-lying area that sits on top of a sewer line.

Both homes took on water in a June 25 storm that dumped 2.67 inches of rain on the south side of Des Moines, leading to at least one water rescue and 19 road closures due to overloaded storm sewers. It was the highest total rainfall measured on that date at the Des Moines International Airport since 1878, according to the National Weather Service.

In a statement, Hubbell Spokeswoman Claire Brehmer said new developments and homes are "not designed to withstand all extreme weather conditions."

"And this was an extreme weather event," she said.

"In this case, we are researching what may have occurred," Brehmer said. "The same weather event created a huge amount of damage in the area, specifically to the Wakonda golf course, Park Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods."

She also said the city approves site plans and certification of occupancy prior to residents moving in to new developments.

More:As nearly $1 billion is spent elsewhere, Des Moines flooding victims wonder why they haven't been helped

Construction on Wakonda Living started in 2013. Both of the Donnellys' homes are valued at more than $550,000.

The Donnellys claim both homes sustained structural issues, making them uninhabitable. Thomas and Amy Donnelly still live in a rental property, while Katherine Donnelly lives in her townhome without gas, heat or hot water, the lawsuit says.

All three claim to have lost personal items in the flood.

The Donnellys are seeking to be reimbursed for their expenses related to relocating, double living expenses including rent and mortgage and HOA fees on a vacant home, loss of personal property and emotional distress.

They're also demanding Hubbell pay for improvements to protect their homes from future flooding and the diminution in value of flood-damaged homes when they're sold.