FEMA workers change some hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina after receiving threats
RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal disaster workers paused for a moment and then changed some of their measures hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolinaincluding ceasing door-to-door visits after receiving threats that they could be targeted by a militia, officials said, in government response Helene is target of runaway disinformation.
The threats emerged last weekend. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday that it received a call Saturday about a man with an assault rifle who made a comment “about potentially harming” Federal Emergency Management Agency employees working in hard-hit areas of Lake Lure works and Chimney Rock, in the mountains of North Carolina.
Authorities obtained a description of a suspect’s vehicle and license plate and later identified him as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, a small community about 60 miles west of Charlotte. Sheriff’s officials said in a statement that Parsons — who was armed with a handgun and a rifle — was charged with “armed to terrorize the public,” a misdemeanor. He was released after posting bond.
The sheriff’s office said initial reports indicated that a “truckload of militia” was involved in making the threat, but further investigation indicated that Parsons acted alone.
Messages left seeking comment on phone listings for Parsons and a possible family member were not immediately returned.
In a Facebook post, Ashe County Sheriff B. Phil Howell said FEMA has suspended some work in assessing the threats.
“Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help people and please don’t stir the pot,” Howell wrote on Sunday.
FEMA confirmed in a statement Monday that it has adjusted operations. It emphasized that disaster recovery centers remain open and that FEMA continues to “help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”
Workers out the agency’s disaster response teams – which helps survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state and local resources – have stopped going door to door and are instead working from fixed locations while potential threats are assessed, one said person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not publicly discuss the details of the operations.
The person emphasized that FEMA was making the adjustments “out of an abundance of caution.”
FEMA did not immediately provide details about the threats.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s staff said in a statement Monday that his office was aware of “reports of threats against response workers on the ground,” as well as “significant misinformation online.” Cooper ordered state law enforcement officials to work with local authorities to identify “the specific threats and rumors.”
The Washington Post reported On Sunday, the US Forest Service, which supports hurricane recovery work, sent a message to multiple federal agencies warning that FEMA had advised all federal responders in Rutherford County to leave the county immediately.
The message said National Guard troops had encountered “armed militias” who said they were “hunting FEMA.”
FEMA has confronted with rampant disinformation about her response to Helene, which struck Florida on September 26 before heading north and leaving a trail of destruction in six states.
Former President Donald Trump and his allies have used the aftermath of the storm to spread false information about the Biden administration’s response in the final weeks before the election. Their debunked claims include false statements that victims can only receive $750 in aid, that relief funds have gone to immigrants, that people who accept federal aid money can have their land seized, and that FEMA is holding up trucks full of supplies.
Meanwhile, confusion has arisen about what exactly the agency does does and doesn’t do when disaster strikes.
State or tribal governments can contact us request federal assistance. But the disaster must exceed their ability to respond, meaning not all disasters ultimately receive federal assistance. The president approves disaster declarations.
Once an emergency is declared, it can unleash several types of assistance from FEMA. A big part of what the agency does is spend money in the form of cash immediate aftermath of a disaster and for years to come.
This could include help persons affected by disasterssuch as payments of $750 to pay for immediate needs like medicine or diapers. It could also mean extra money to rent an apartment because their home was destroyed or to pay for a storage unit.
Helene decimated remote towns in the Appalachiansleft millions without power, cell service turned off and killed at least 243 people. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005.
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Brumfield reported from Baltimore.