FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats related to misinformation

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Federal disaster personnel have resumed door-to-door visits as part of their hurricane recovery work in North Carolina, an effort that was temporarily suspended amid threats that prompted officials to condemn the spread of misinformation.

Over the weekend, reports emerged that employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be targeted by militias as the government responds to Hurricane Helene. A sheriff’s office said Monday that one man was arrested during an investigation, but the suspect acted alone.

FEMA has made operational changes to protect personnel “out of an abundance of caution,” agency administrator Deanne Criswell said during a briefing Tuesday. FEMA workers were back in the field Monday, joined by Criswell, and she said disaster relief teams were helping survivors apply. as FEMA assistance and state and local assistance will continue to go door to door. She emphasized that the organization is not going anywhere.

“The federal family has been working side by side with the state here since day one. These are people who put their lives on hold to help those who have lost everything,” Criswell said. “So let me be clear. I take these threats seriously.”

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said he had directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to coordinate law enforcement assistance for FEMA and other first responders. Highlighting the damage done by internet rumors and untruths, he said officials may never know how many people will not apply for help because of bad information.

“There continues to be a persistent and dangerous flow of misinformation about recovery efforts in western North Carolina that can lead to threats and intimidation, cause confusion and demoralize storm survivors and response workers alike,” Cooper said during the briefing. “If you are participating in spreading this stuff, stop it. Whatever your goal, the people you are really hurting are the ones in western North Carolina who need help.”

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call Saturday about a man with an assault rifle who made a comment “about possibly causing harm” to FEMA workers working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock in the mountains of North Carolina works. was charged with “armed terror of the public,” a misdemeanor, and was released after posting bond.

The sheriff’s office said it had received initial reports that a “truck load of militia” was involved in the threat, but further investigation revealed the man acted alone.

FEMA has faced rampant misinformation over its response to Helene, which struck Florida on September 26 before moving north and leaving a trail of destruction in six states.

When asked what could be fueling the misinformation, Cooper said social media has become more extreme, but he also pointed to politics.

“This is happening in the middle of elections, with candidates using people’s misery to sow chaos for their own political goals – and it’s wrong,” he said.

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.

Helene has decimated remote towns in Appalachia, left millions without power, knocked out cell service, and killed at least 246 people. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005.

Terrie Daughtry, a volunteer who handles therapy dogs at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Asheville on Tuesday, said threats and misinformation — including militia rumors — made her feel unsafe for the first time during several trips to volunteer at disaster sites .

“I’m not going to risk my life getting shot, injured or trampled because of insanity,” said Daughtry, a volunteer with Therapy Dogs International. She said she previously traveled to help in the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, flooding in Virginia and tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.

She and another volunteer have used their therapy dogs to calm people waiting in line to file FEMA claims. They hand out candy, let people pet the dogs and talk to people about their experiences.

Despite the added stress of the “absolutely ridiculous” threats and misinformation, Daughtry said she has seen some amazing moments of human spirit. At some point on Monday, someone in line started playing guitar and singing about the fact there was no water, she said. Eventually the entire row sang along.

“These are special people. They sing in terrible adversity,” she said. “It tore me up when I was there and it’s tearing me up now.”

___ Brumfield reported from Baltimore.