FEMA workers modify some North Carolina hurricane recovery efforts after receiving threats

FILE – A FEMA employee in Asheville, North Carolina, helping residents affected by Helene. (Photo: WLOS staff)

(AP) — Federal responders halted and then modified some of their hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina, including abandoning door-to-door visits, after receiving threats that they might be targeted by a militia , officials said, as the government’s response to Hélène is targeted. by rampant disinformation.

The threats emerged over the 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” police employees. Federal Emergency Management Agency working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in the North Carolina mountains.

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 “arming himself to terrorize the public,” a misdemeanor. He was released after posting bail.

The sheriff’s office said initial reports indicated a “truckload of militia” was involved in making the threat, but further investigation determined Parsons acted alone.

Messages left seeking comment on the phone listings of Parsons and a possible relative were not immediately returned.

In a Facebook post, Ashe County Sheriff B. Phil Howell said FEMA has suspended some work while it assesses threats.

“Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help people and please don’t stir things up,” Howell wrote Sunday.

FEMA confirmed in a statement Monday that it had adjusted its operations. He stressed that disaster recovery centers remain open and FEMA continues “to help the people of North Carolina recover.”

Workers on the agency’s Disaster Assistance Teams — which help survivors apply for FEMA assistance and connect them with additional state and local resources — have stopped going door to door. carries and work from fixed locations while potential threats are assessed, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not publicly discuss details of the operations.

The person stressed 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 responders in the field,” as well as “significant misinformation online.” Cooper ordered state law enforcement officials to work with local authorities to identify “specific threats and rumors.”

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting hurricane reconstruction work, sent a message to several federal agencies, warning them that FEMA had advised all federal responders in Rutherford County to leave the county immediately.

The post said National Guard troops encountered “armed militias” claiming they were “hunting FEMA.”

FEMA faced widespread misinformation about its response to Helene, which struck Florida on September 26 before heading north and leaving a trail of destruction across six states.

Former President Donald Trump and his allies used the storm’s aftermath to spread misinformation about the Biden administration’s response in the final weeks leading up to the election. Their debunked claims include false claims that victims can only receive $750 in aid, that emergency response funds were diverted to immigrants, that people accepting federal aid could have their land seized and for FEMA to stop trucks full of supplies.

Meanwhile, confusion has emerged over what the agency does and does not do in times of disaster.

State or tribal governments can request assistance from the federal government. But the disaster must exceed their capacity to respond, which means not all disasters end up receiving federal assistance. The president approves disaster declarations.

Once an emergency is declared, it can trigger different types of assistance from FEMA. Much of the agency’s work involves distributing money immediately after a disaster and for years to come.

This can include aid to people affected by disasters, such as $750 payments to meet immediate needs like medicine or diapers. It could also mean extra money to rent an apartment because their house is destroyed or to pay for a storage unit.