FEMA forced to pause some operations in North Carolina over threats

Oct 14

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor), Jonah Applegarth (Graphics Operator)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been forced to pause aid to some North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The move comes after reports of threats to FEMA responders following a spread of misinformation on the agency’s response to recent storms.

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Certain FEMA operations in Ashe County, northeast of Asheville, were paused over the weekend of Oct. 12 out of an abundance of caution, according to the sheriff. The agency stopped in-person applications for aid in at least two different locations, but operations were expected to be back to normal on Monday, Oct. 14.

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Applying for disaster assistance may be challenging after disasters due to power and communication outages. You have multiple options for applying and we continue working hard to provide more.#Milton #Helene pic.twitter.com/5r20deZVyj
— FEMA (@fema) October 13, 2024

To the southeast of Asheville in Rutherford County, FEMA teams worked from fixed locations instead of going door-to-door after National Guard troops reported seeing “armed militia” threatening FEMA workers, according to The Washington Post.

FEMA said its search-and-rescue efforts will continue, but its disaster survivor assistance teams will continue to work at fixed locations and secure areas as a precaution while the agency assesses potential threat information.

Tags: Emergency, Extreme weather, FEMA, flooding, hurricane, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane season, National Guard, North Carolina, Severe Weather

FEMA HAS BEEN FORCED TO PAUSE AID TO SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES IN NORTH CAROLINA IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE… OVER REPORTS OF THREATS TO ITS RESPONDERS FOLLOWING MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD ABOUT FEMA’S RESPONSE TO RECENT STORMS.

CERTAIN FEMA OPERATIONS WERE PAUSED IN ASHE COUNTY, NORTHEAST OF ASHEVILLE, OVER THE WEEKEND – IN WHAT THE SHERIFF THERE SAID WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.

THEY STOPPED IN-PERSON APPLICATIONS FOR AID AT AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS – BUT OPERATIONS WERE EXPECTED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL MONDAY.

TO THE SOUTHEAST OF ASHEVILLE – IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY – FEMA TEAMS AHD TO START WORKING FROM FIXED LOCATIONS INSTEAD OF GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR TO OFFER HELP… AFTER NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS REPORTED SEEING QUOTE “ARMED MILITIA” THREATENING FEMA WORKERS, ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY THE WASHINGTON POST.

FEMA SAYS ITS SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE, BUT ITS DISASTER SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE TEAMS WILL KEEP WORKING AT FIXED LOCATIONS AND SECURE AREAS AS A PRECAUTION WHILE THE AGENCY ASSESSES POTENTIAL THREAT INFORMATION.