Man arrested as threats on FEMA hinder Helene relief

A FEMA worker searches wreckage from Hurricane Helene in North Carolina with a search-and-rescue dog

(Image credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images)

What happened

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Monday it had temporarily suspended some operations in western North Carolina over the weekend, including door-to-door visits, as it assessed threats against disaster workers. An armed man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly threatened to harm FEMA workers in areas hit hard by Hurricane Helene, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Who said what

William Jacob Parsons, 44, was arrested outside a grocery store functioning as a relief center on misdemeanor charges of "going armed to the terror of the public," and released on a $10,000 bond, the sheriff's office said. Despite earlier reports, authorities determined that "Parsons acted alone and there was no truck loads of militia going to Lake Lure."

National Guard troops in the area had come across "trucks of armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA," a Forest Service official assisting in Helene recovery work had warned FEMA, The Washington Post said. FEMA reportedly resumed normal operations Monday.

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"We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said on Monday. Some people "in need of assistance who are entitled to assistance" are not "seeking it because of the false information," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

What next?

The rampant false information about FEMA's response, spread largely by Donald Trump and his allies, has prompted the Biden administration to "ramp up social media posts from government accounts with photos illustrating how federal workers are clearing debris and dispensing aid," CNN said.

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.