Hurricane Helene caused mass destruction in the Carolinas and left over 200 people dead. In its aftermath, FEMA has been one of the government organizations supporting those affected.
Posts online claim an armed militia in North Carolina was hunting FEMA workers, prompting the agency to briefly pause its relief efforts.
Multiple VERIFY readers, including Katherine and Nick, reached out to ask if those claims are true. VERIFY reader Amy sent in a TikTok of what appears to be a militia group meeting, and asked about potential militia in North Carolina.
THE QUESTION
Was a militia hunting FEMA workers in North Carolina?
THE SOURCES
- A Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office press release
- A FEMA spokesperson
THE ANSWER
No, a militia was not hunting FEMA workers in North Carolina.
WHAT WE FOUND
Rumors that a militia was out hunting FEMA workers providing aid in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene are false, according to police departments in the area and a FEMA spokesperson. VERIFY was unable to find any credible reports of a militia hunting FEMA workers in the state and the video sent in by a reader is of a group in Lynchburg, Virginia.
While FEMA changed its operational procedure in North Carolina as a result of the threat, there was no official report of a militia.
The video sent in by a VERIFY reader is of a group of people meeting in Lynchburg, Virginia and there is no mention of hunting FEMA workers in the clip.
Over the weekend, the Rutherford County Communications Center in North Carolina received a phone call about a man making threatening comments about FEMA workers in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas, a Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office press release says.
Police later charged 44-year-old William Jacob Parsons, who was armed with a rifle and a handgun, in relation to the threatening comments.
“The initial report stated there was a truck load 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 release added.
VERIFY also conducted a search of local news reports and did not find any credible reports of militia hunting FEMA workers in the state.
Although there wasn’t a militia heading to towns hit by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, FEMA service was disrupted temporarily on Sunday as a result of the threat.
“Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats,” Ashe County Sheriff's Office said regarding FEMA in a Facebook post.
The post was later updated to announce that FEMA locations in the county had returned to normal operational hours.
"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,” a spokesperson for FEMA told VERIFY partner station WCNC.
This isn’t the first time misinformation has been spread regarding FEMA after Hurricane Helene. VERIFY has also fact-checked false claims that the agency is blocking aid or only giving survivors $750 in support after the storm.
Correction: This story originally said Parsons called Rutherford County Communications Center and said he threatened FEMA workers. This story has been updated to reflect that the Rutherford County Communications Center received a call about Parsons making threatening comments.
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