Editor’s Note: As part of a new editorial approach, Claims will begin offering first-run, feature-length articles on our web site and in e-News before they appear in our monthly print issue. These articles will be clearly marked and are intended to expand the editorial breadth of the magazine while at the same time delivering even more useful and educational insights to our readers courtesy of experts in the field. We hope you find this extended coverage helpful.
Following Hurricane Katrina, construction equipment theft increased 22 percent in the Gulf region from the end of August to November 2005. As a result of the extensive flooding in and around Iowa this June, mounting evidence indicates a growth in equipment theft in the flooded region. And on Sept. 20, 2008, a large multi-quip, trailer-mounted diesel generator was stolen in the Houston area. More such thefts are expected in the wake of Hurricane Ike.