FEMA Workers Change Some Hurricane-Recovery Efforts In North Carolina After Receiving Threats

Raleigh, North Carolina – FEMA paused and then changed some of their hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina, including abandoning door-to-door visits, after receiving threats that they would be targeted by a militia, officials said, as the government response to Helene is being targeted by runaway disinformation.

The threats appeared over the weekend. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday that it received a call on Saturday about a man with an assault rifle who made a comment “about possibly harming” FEMA employees working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in the North Carolina mountains.

FEMA Workers Change Some Hurricane-Recovery Efforts In North Carolina After Receiving Threats

Authorities obtained a description of a suspect’s vehicle and license plate, eventually identifying him as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, a small village about 60 miles west of Charlotte. According to sheriff’s officials, Parsons, who was armed with a handgun and a rifle, was charged with “going armed to terrorize the public,” a misdemeanor. He was released after posting a bond.

According to the sheriff’s office, initial reports suggested that a “truckload of militia” was responsible for the threat, but additional inquiry revealed that Parsons acted alone.

Messages left requesting comment at phone numbers for Parsons and a suspected relative were not responded to immediately.

In a Facebook post, Ashe County Sheriff B. Phil Howell stated that FEMA halted some operations while it assessed the threats.

“Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don’t stir the pot,” Howell told us on Sunday.

FEMA stated in a statement on Monday that it has modified operations. It noted that disaster recovery centers remain open and that FEMA “continues to assist the people of North Carolina in their recovery.”

Workers from the agency’s disaster-assistance teams, who assist survivors in applying for FEMA aid and connecting them with additional state and local resources, have stopped going door to door and are now working from fixed locations while potential threats are assessed, according to a source familiar with the situation. The individuals talked on the condition of anonymity because they were unable to share operational matters in public.

The individual emphasized that FEMA was making the revisions “out of an abundance of caution.”

FEMA did not immediately disclose details about the risks.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said in a statement Monday that they were aware of “reports of threats to response workers on the ground,” as well as “significant misinformation online.” Cooper asked state law enforcement personnel to collaborate with local authorities to discover “the specific threats and rumors.”

According to the Washington Post, the United States Forest Service, which is assisting with hurricane recovery efforts, issued a message to numerous government agencies on Sunday informing them that FEMA had instructed all federal responders in Rutherford County to evacuate immediately.

The message claimed that National Guard members had spotted “armed militia” who were “out hunting FEMA.”

FEMA has encountered widespread misinformation regarding its reaction to Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida on September 26 before moving north and wreaking havoc across six states.

Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have used the storm’s aftermath to propagate false information about the Biden administration’s response in the last weeks before the election. Their discredited claims include misleading comments that victims can only receive $750 in aid, that emergency response funding was redirected to immigrants, that people who accept government relief money may have their land taken, and that FEMA is blocking trucks loaded with supplies.

FEMA Workers Change Some Hurricane-Recovery Efforts In North Carolina After Receiving Threats

Meanwhile, there is a misunderstanding about what the agency does and does not do when a tragedy happens.

State or tribal administrations can request federal help. However, the crisis must be larger than their ability to respond, therefore not all disasters receive government assistance. The president approves catastrophe declarations.

Once an emergency is declared, FEMA can provide numerous forms of assistance. Much of what the organization does is distribute money immediately after a disaster and for years to come.

Individuals affected by disasters may receive aid in the form of $750 payments to cover immediate requirements such as medicines or diapers. It may also require additional funds to rent an apartment because their home has been destroyed or to pay for a storage facility.

Helene destroyed isolated Appalachian towns, left millions without power, disrupted cellular connectivity, and killed at least 243 people. It was the most deadly hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005.

SOURCE | AP