FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats tied to disinformation

Source: ABC News/AP

October 15, 2024, 2:41 PM


ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Federal disaster personnel have resumed door-to-door visits as part of their hurricane-recovery work in North Carolina, an effort temporarily suspended amid threats that prompted officials to condemn the spread of disinformation.

Over the weekend, reports emerged that workers with the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be targeted by militia as the government responds to Hurricane Helene. A sheriff's office said Monday that one man was arrested during an investigation, but that the suspect acted alone.

FEMA made operational changes to keep personnel safe “out of an abundance of caution," agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a briefing Tuesday. FEMA workers were back in the field Monday, accompanied by Criswell, and she said disaster-assistance teams helping survivors apply for FEMA aid as well as state and local assistance will continue to go door-to-door. She emphasized that the agency isn't going anywhere.

“The federal family has been here working side by side with the state since Day One. These are people who put their lives on hold to help those who have lost everything,” Criswell said. “So let me be clear. I take these threats seriously.”

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fema-resumes-door-door-visits-north-carolina-after-114825693