The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) paused aid in parts of North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene over alleged threats targeted at the agency’s personnel.
According to The Washington Post, the workers were told to stop working and move to a different location over concerns of an “armed militia” threatening workers in the area (via the Post):
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, an official with the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, sent an urgent message to numerous federal agencies warning that “FEMA has advised all federal responders Rutherford County, NC, to stand down and evacuate the county immediately. The message stated that National Guard troops ‘had come across x2 trucks of armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA.’”
“The IMTs [incident management teams] have been notified and are coordinating the evacuation of all assigned personnel in that county,” the email added.
In a statement to reporters, a FEMA spokesperson said they were simply making “operational adjustments.”
“For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”
Federal emergency workers were forced to pause their hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina after National Guard troops reportedly discovered trucks of armed militia, who were “out hunting FEMA.” @KathyParkNBC reports. pic.twitter.com/F4yFQLp069
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 14, 2024
According to WYFF, the FEMA operations that were paused over the weekend were reopened on Monday. This included in-person applications for aid in at least two locations.
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