Metal thieves knock out river gauges, raising flooding concerns for homeowners
PACIFIC, Wash. -- Metal thieves could be turning flood season even more dangerous for some homeowners.
Crooks have been trashing sensitive flood gauges along the White River, and the crime could be putting many homeowners in danger.
The thieves are likely only getting away with a few bucks at the scrap yard, but neighbors worry they could lose everything they have if the river floods again.
“I watch it go up and down in the middle of the night,” said homeowner Vicky Nelson. “I even get out of bed and go check it.”
Nelson said she watches the creek behind her house closely; it flows into the White River, which flooded her and her neighbor’s house last December.
“We’re really frightened we’re going to lose our property,” she said.
The thefts have happened at least three times in the past two months.
Crooks are breaking into the locked boxes to steal batteries and solar panels, effectively shutting down critical real-time monitoring of the White River.
“This is really the only way of monitoring 24 hours a day on a known level what the river is doing,” said Ken Frasl, hydrologic technician and field office chief for the U.S. Geological Survey in Western Washington. “Without these, the public is in jeopardy of being flooded without any warning.”
Investigators said the last burglary happened around 3 a.m. last Thursday.
Police said they are patrolling the area and keeping a close eye along the river to watch for suspicious activity.
“I don’t want to go swimming in the middle of the night,” said Nelson.
Nelson is still cleaning up after her last flood; she just hopes the crooks stop so she can live in peace along the river.
“I don’t understand how somebody could be so unemotional and heartless and careless to do this while were suffering,” she said.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the Pacific Police Department.