FEMA Temporarily Stops Action in Areas of North Carolina as it Poses Safety Risks
More: FEMA official says gas shortage in NC not imminent threat; ‘No time to panic’. But last week, FEMA took precautionary measures by briefly suspending relief operations after what were described as “credible threats” against its employees working on recovery from Hurricane Helene — the first major storm of this year’s hurricane season. The decision came because of fears for the safety of federal responders, after news reports linked political misinformation and threats to Hurricane Maria.
Assistance has been paused, as alleged threats are made
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) called off aid operations in North Carolina’s mountain region over the weekend. The threats to FEMA workers prompted a precautionary decision. Responding to an inquiry from The Watchdog, the patrol agency said there had been no direct threats against Ashe County or areas nearby but officials wanted to make sure beforehand.
Public Response and Precautions
Ash County Sheriff Phil Howell said the work suspension was only done as a precaution, to keep FEMA workers safe while threats were under investigation. Howell also wrote in a Facebook post, “They still are progressing through their process of evaluating the threats and just to provide them an additional level or assurance, they have paused in moving forward momentarily with that formation.”
From the Ashe County Emergency Management office, FEMA employees will not be taking applications in some towns for a brief time Officials said they had pulled all the FEMA reps in North Carolina off patrols after threats were reported but that nothing official from FEMA has come down.
Threats to Open Carry in Rutherford County
The Washington Post reported Monday that the federal official said in an email to FEMA employees Sunday, “This is about saving lives,” and Federal Emergency Management Agency administrators had ordered all responders working in Rutherford County to immediately relocate. National Guard troops were reported to have come across two trucks with militia armed men inside who said they were “hunting FEMA.
Those reports were troubling but proved to be much ado about nearly nothing by Sunday afternoon, when FEMA announced it had returned all 3,000 personnel as part of a plan crafted with Puerto Rican Gov.
False including FEMA Efforts
FEMA support was halted at a time when misinformation about its response to Hurricane Helene – which clobbered parts of the South – began spiking. The information from the faked document also fueled more tensions, and put aid workers at risk for violence.
Note: Normal Operations will Continue
FEMA sites in Ashe County are expected to return to regular hours as of Monday. The incident was still under investigation, and state officials were working to ensure the safety of federal responders involved in recovery from Hurricane Katrina.
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