What we know about FEMA efforts in Western North Carolina

CNN
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency has resumed door-to-door neighborhood operations in some areas affected by Hurricane Helene as a man is accused of making a threat against its employees.

Amid reports of militia involvement, the agency told CNN that it had been the subject of several threats and that the alleged threat posed by the man later arrested was the main threat it was aware of when it decided to carry out the operations to withdraw.

“I wanted to make sure we were protecting our frontline workers while working diligently with local law enforcement to understand the entire situation,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

“The threat was more limited than initially reported and was mitigated by law enforcement,” FEMA said Monday.

A former FEMA administrator told CNN that threats on the ground were rare in the past. “This is unprecedented. I know we had individuals, but not an area or group, that threatened FEMA,” said Craig Fugate, who led the agency from 2009 to 2017.

FEMA has approved more than $96 million for 75,000 households in North Carolina, part of the $507 million approved for residents and communities in states affected by Helene and Hurricane Milton, the agency also announced Monday known.

Here's what we know about relief efforts following the two most recent major hurricanes:

According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, a man found to be in possession of a handgun and a rifle has been charged with misdemeanor “arming to terrorize the public.”

CNN has reached out to 44-year-old William Jacob Parsons, who is out on bail but cannot be reached at any of the numbers provided. He was arrested Saturday outside a grocery store that is being used as a storm relief center, the sheriff's office said.

The first report to the MPs said there was a truckload of militia According to a news release from the sheriff's office, Parsons had been involved in making threats, but investigators concluded that Parsons acted alone.

While Parsons' alleged threat was the primary concern, the agency had already been the target of threats and harassment of employees for several days, a FEMA spokesperson told CNN.

Then FEMA has temporarily relocated its field teams to disaster recovery centers – there are four in North Carolina – and worked with law enforcement to assess the nature of the threats.

The agency said Monday that it had resumed community outreach after about a day.

“Thanks to our close partnership with Governor Roy Cooper and his team, as well as local law enforcement, FEMA teams will soon be back doing what they do best: meeting people where they are and going door-to-door to help survivors Help to register. Criswell said. “FEMA and the entire federal family will remain in North Carolina as long as necessary to help these communities recover.”

After disasters like hurricanes and the Maui wildfires, FEMA has had to contend with wild rumors about its relief efforts, which include an initial payment of $750 to many victims.

But “the contours of this misinformation are unlike anything we've seen before,” a senior administration official told CNN last week.

Senior U.S. officials have directed public affairs teams at federal agencies to amplify social media posts from government accounts with photos illustrating federal workers clearing debris and distributing aid, a U.S. official familiar with the operation said.

The misinformation has prompted FEMA to create a website to respond to rumors and confirm facts related to Hurricane Helene response and recovery, such as disaster relief and disaster relief funding.

Last week, Criswell said she believes the “dangerous narrative” is political.

“It's really a disgrace that we're prioritizing politics over helping people, and that's what we're here for,” Criswell said Oct. 6 on ABC.

A rumor spread by former President Donald Trump and X owner Elon Musk, among others, suggested that the federal government was redirecting aid. Another claims the Biden administration — along with Gov. Cooper, a Democrat — withheld or redirected aid because the hardest-hit areas were overwhelmingly Republican.

Trump has also made baseless claims that some of the diverted funds were used to help migrants who are in the country illegally.

“We had the full support of the state. Local officials have helped us push back on this dangerous — really dangerous narrative that creates this fear of reaching out and helping or signing up for help,” Criswell said.

Cooper said Monday he is directing the state's Department of Public Safety to assist FEMA officials in coordinating with law enforcement to ensure the safety of FEMA teams.

The governor did not specify which parts of the department, which includes the highway patrol and the National Guard, would be involved.

“We know that significant online misinformation contributes to threats to responders on the ground, and responders’ safety must be a priority,” Cooper said in a statement.

National Guard troops are already on the ground in western North Carolina, part of a task force of more than 1,500 soldiers and airmen.

FEMA has approved $507 million in assistance for residents and communities and $351 million for debris cleanup in states affected by Hurricane Helene.

“Disaster survivors in certain areas of Georgia, “Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance from FEMA,” the agency said.

The agency broke down disaster relief numbers by state:

There are three main ways to apply for FEMA assistance: by phone, online, or at a recovery center.