With insurance claims in the balance, flooded homeowners fed up with debris pickers

The piles of debris lining the streets of many flooded neighborhoods now come with their own signage – “Our crap, not your's,” or “you loot, we shoot,” or even more to the point, “do not touch.”

The signs written on plywood or messages painted on appliances started popping up soon after the flooding subsided and residents had a chance to start cleaning out their homes.

“Right after we put our stuff out, we had people asking if they could take the washer and dryer,” said Kim Halphen, 46, from Walker, who had large “do not touch” signs in front of the house debris. “We can’t get rid of it until the (insurance) adjusters come.”

The problem has received a lot of attention in neighborhoods and on social media where people with pickups or even trailers are going through the piles of debris and taking anything of worth. It has riled many homeowners who are concerned it's hurting their chances of collecting from insurance or FEMA aid.

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