Construction equipment thefts in the US gulf states and surrounding areas rose sharply after Hurricane Katrina and were worse after hurricanes Rita and Wilma, a report says.

The National Equipment Register (NER) report said the number of thefts reported to the national database of equipment theft from the time Hurricane Katrina hit to the end of December was up 22 per cent from the same period in 2004.

NER president David Shillingford said: "In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina we started to see a trend of greater theft in and around the gulf states and have been tracking this closely.

"Now that so much equipment is in the areas of reconstruction, we are concerned theft will continue to rise. This report is a way of raising awareness and suggesting solutions," he said.

The report explores trends in rental equipment theft, fraud and resale of flood-damaged equipment.

In a case study published in the report, a Mississippi buyer checked whether a piece of equipment offered below market price was stolen by calling the NER. That resulted in an investigation and the recovery of USD350,000 of equipment.

The report is available to law enforcement agencies, NER member insurers, the media and equipment owners. Email info@NERusa.com for a copy.