Hurricane recovery officials in N.C. relocated amid report of 'armed militia,' email shows

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Hurricane recovery officials in N.C. relocated amid report of 'armed militia,' email shows
Safety fears are growing as misinformation collides with a large-scale federal recovery effort.


National Guard soldiers, FEMA staff and other aid workers unload food and water from a National Guard helicopter in Jefferson, N.C., on Oct. 2. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

By Brianna Sacks
October 13, 2024 at 6:04 p.m. EDT

LAKE LURE, N.C. -- Federal emergency response personnel on Saturday had employees operating in hard-hit Rutherford County, N.C., stop working and move to a different area because of concerns over "armed militia" threatening government workers in the region, according to an email sent to federal agencies helping with response in the state.

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 there 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.

Two federal officials confirmed the authenticity of the email, though it was unclear whether the quoted threat was seen as credible. The National Guard referred questions to FEMA when asked about the incident. One Forest Service official coordinating the Helene recovery said responders moved to a "safe area" and at least some work in that area -- which included clearing trees off dozens of damaged and blocked roads to help search-and-rescue crews, as well as groups delivering supplies -- was paused.

{snip}

By Brianna Sacks
Brianna explores how climate change is transforming the United States through catastrophic events. She deploys to disaster zones for intense, on-the-ground reporting, as well as does investigative, accountabiliy, and enterprise reporting on how disasters impact all facets of life.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/10/13/federal-officials-nc-temporarily-relocated-amid-report-armed-militia-email-shows/

[Lovie777]

1. They will be dismantled...................

FEMA trying to help people, these eff up assholes want a civil war.

They do not care about the hurricane victims.

[hadEnuf]

6. That's what it's about. They will go with any ludicrous nonsense as an excuse to start trouble.

There can be no fooling around with these terrorists anymore. They are threatening US rescue services and American lives.

They are seditionists, insurrectionists and terrorists. Declare them as such and take them down.

[OldBaldy1701E]

20. And, take them down!

Don't roll up and give them citations. You drag these non-human swine into a cell and into a courtroom and you bury them in a prison for a long time, if not forever.

Otherwise, you are accomplishing nothing.

[stollen]

18. It was right to move FEMA to safer ground

and have them work the hurricane damage there. If militia threaten again, FEMA moves away. If the militias fire on FEMA, FEMA goes. If the locals are so good at helping each others, which is actually all emergency operations' first line of defense, drive on. I'm just sorry I sent supplies down there.

[DFW]

2. Any self-proclaimed "militia" interfering with people's lives getting saved

I'd send in whatever full force we had available and tell them to use any and all force necessary to subdue these enemies (domestic). Their right to parade around like some modern version of Game of Thrones ends where real life people in danger of dying are denied aid.

[Island Blue]

4. Totally agree.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Patriot Front...

Was parading and setting up camp somewhere in Florida telling stranded/needy storm victims that they were there because FEMA wasn't coming.

They claimed and thus falsely reported to victims that PF would rescue the victims because their government wasn't coming.

With limited outside contact and barriers to travel and communication one could see how this could be effective propaganda.

It's an old trick designed to sow mistrust and divide citizens pitting us against each other.

That report was by PBS NewsHour on Thursday or Friday. I don't remember exactly. William Brangham was the reporter.

[bahboo]

3. this is on the orange asshole....

yet the people affected will still vote for him. Unreal....

[GainesT1958]

7. A lot of them...

But definitely not ALL of them...

[EarthFirst]

8. Collusion with local LEO's?

I’m having a hard time understanding how a small group of armed militia types would have the ability to undermine well organized; well funded government agencies without the help of local law enforcement agencies.

What else is there?

[Deep State Witch]

11. Local LEO is overwhelmed

From my friends in WNC - the local LEOs are dealing with a lot right now - their own losses of personnel and equipment, people needing to be rescued, volunteers and supplies coming in from all over. One of my friends lives near Swannanoa, and she reported that there was some kind of extra-judicial "Men In Black" group on the ground to protect against "looters". (Read: black or brown people looking for food, pets, or loved ones.)

Everybody wants to help, but not all of those people are doing it for the right reasons.

[GB_RN]

9. OK. Enough Of This Shit, Already.

It’s time to put a (hard & permanent) stop to this nonsense. These “militia” goons have gone way too far, and been allowed to do so for far too long. Goddamned domestic terrorists.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

12. Merrick?? Hello?? MERRRICK!!!

It would surprise me if he'd do something about it.

[slightlv]

14. It's time for US to send in the military,

and take care of these "domestic terrorists!"... how else could one describe someone, with guns, who threatens the lives of government personnel... not to mention, probably, any democrats they eventually find. I've had it with these people. I don't want a civil war... let alone a shooting war... and we've been in a "cold war" with them for long enough. People are sick of guns, sick of mass shootings, sick to death of school shootings, and tired of all the threats coming from these idiots and their messiah. I can't say what I want to say, cause I'd probably be sanctioned. But I truly HAVE had enough of it!!!!

[FightFight]

10. I blame Trump

[slightlv]

15. The damned judiciary

should put him in jail for violating the judges orders until his sentencing in November, and then keep him there until his trial for Jan 6 starts. He should NOT be allowed to foment terrorism in this country!

[70sEraVet]

13. You would expect to read things like this in some third-world country....

controlled by local warlords.
Trump and his goons are turning this country into a s..thole country!

[slightlv]

16. If we don't stop them,

we WILL be a carbon copy of Afghanistan, complete with war lord dictators in every state.

[4catsmom]

17. These bozos want to play army

and I pray Biden will give them a real taste of it. Traitors, seditionists and lunatics, and that's being generous.

[Hekate]

19. KnR