Hurricane recovery efforts for North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Helene hit a major snag after Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers received news of a very credible threat putting their lives at risk.
Federal responders in Rutherford County were sent an urgent email on Saturday by the U.S. Forest Service alerting them to stand down and evacuate because National Guard troops were facing trucks of armed militia who said they were "hunting FEMA."
Relief efforts resumed on Monday when the threat turned out to be less serious than initially thought. It involved a suspect who was arrested for acting alone in making the threat.
Media outlets attributed the panic causing FEMA's temporary pause on relief efforts to the spread of misinformation amplified by Republican candidate Donald Trump.
The former President has touted baseless accusations about his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris spending billions of dollars in federal emergency disaster money so the party could "give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them" in the election.
The disaster response agency told CBS News:
"FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance."
"For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments."
"Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery."
According to the news outlet, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said they received a call on Saturday informing them that a man with an assault rifle had commented about possibly harming FEMA workers in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area.
Deputies alerted the Lake Lure Police Department and other agencies upon learning of the threat.
A man suspected of making the threat was identified as William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina.
He was arrested and charged with "going armed to the terror of the public."
The Sherriff's office said:
"The initial report stated there was a truckload of militia that was involved."
"However, after further investigation, it was determined Parsons acted alone and there were no truck loads of militia going to Lake Lure."
The internet had concerns following the unsettling news report.
Parsons, who was armed with a handgun and a rifle at the time of his arrest, was released on a $10,000 bond.
The North Carolina National Guard stated that there were "no reports of our soldiers or airmen encountering any armed militia, any threats and any type of combatants. We are continuing to serve all those counties in need of our assistance."
FEMA issued a statement later on Monday with an update, saying:
"The threat was more limited than initially reported and mitigated by law enforcement. ... Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will resume normal operations in the field and housing inspectors will resume scheduling inspections to ensure survivors get the assistance they need and deserve."
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell issued a statement, saying:
"Keeping FEMA staff safe while they are helping people in disaster-impacted communities is always my top priority."
"I wanted to make sure we protected our staff on the ground while we worked diligently with local law enforcement to understand the full situation."
Criswell added:
"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 register survivors for assistance."
With many false claims and conspiracy theories surrounding FEMA money and response to Hurricane Helene proliferating the internet, Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas clarified on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan:
"We have individuals in need of assistance who are entitled to assistance who aren't seeking it because of the false information."
Mayorkas also noted how false claims about the government's response to the disaster "cause people to lose confidence in the integrity of the election system" and that the government needs people in positions of authority to "actually communicate accurate information to the voting public."
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