By Mike U. Crismundo Butuan City — A vital equipment that monitors rain capacity, water levels, and floodwaters in Surigao City was stolen, it was learned yesterday. Thieves stole the flood-warning sensor installed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) at the bridge of the Surigao River in Barangay Anomar, Surigao City. The DOST said the equipment is vital in monitoring rain water level and floodwaters so that Surigaonons could be advised properly and protected against flash floods. Officials of the Surigao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) discovered the gadget was missing at the height of the onslaught of tropical storm “Agaton” recently. Officials suspect robbers sold the metal and copper casing of the gadget to the junkshop. At least 70 automated rain gauges (ARGs) and automatic water level monitoring sensors (AWLMS) have been installed last year at various strategic areas in northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region). These monitoring gauges are vital to DRRMCs as these could serve as their monitoring guides, enable local officials to alert their constituents living in vulnerable communities of possible flooding and landslides, giving them ample time to evacuate to safer grounds. In a phone interview, DOST 13 Regional Director Dominga D. Mallonga told The Manila Bulletin yesterday that she already ordered her regional and provincial staff to look into the reported stolen flood-warning sensor in Surigao City and ask the help of the local police in an effort to recover the disaster monitoring equipment.