US emergency responders, forecasters facing threats in wake of hurricanes

Federal emergency personnel and meteorologists are being asked to take precautions after being threatened by the public because of recent storms that have caused such confusion.

Because of concerns over “armed militia” threatening government employees, according to the Washington Post, according to an email sent to federal agencies, forest workers were told to stop working over the weekend in one area of western North Carolina, which was hit by Hurricane Helene.

A statement from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirms that an armed suspect has been detained for threatening Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees in North Carolina.

A US Forest Service official who is supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene, along with FEMA, sent a press release to other agencies on Saturday, urging them to “stand down and evacuate the county immediately.”

According to the message, National Guard personnel reported seeing trucks carrying armed militia “claiming to be searching for FEMA.”

Debris is strewn on the lake in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, October 2, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina, the United States]Mike Stewart/AP Photo]

A 44-year-old white man was detained for making threats against FEMA employees near Lake Lure, one of the most devasted areas, according to a statement from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office confirming that it had made the arrest.

However, it came to the conclusion that the suspect had performed alone and that no relief workers had been targeted by militia members.

The workers were forced to leave the area temporarily because of the threat, but they returned to work on Sunday afternoon clearing trees and delivering supplies, according to the newspaper.

Death threats

Meteorologists in Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas were accused of helping in cover-ups and government manipulation related to hurricanes, The New York Times reported. Additionally, a television station forecaster in Michigan claimed she had been subjected to death threats.

“Murdering meteorologists won’t stop hurricanes”, the forecaster in Michigan, Katie Nickolaou, wrote in a social media post. “I can’t believe I just had to type that”.

Weather forecasters typically have meteorology degrees. Some people claim that climate change is occurring, but they occasionally experience abuse online because of it.

Chris Gloninger, the chief meteorologist at an Iowa television news station, resigned from his position last year after receiving a death threat for his climate change on-air interviews.

With the US election looming in three weeks, the hurricane season has been particularly tense this year.

After a slow start, the hurricane season erupted in October with two major hurricanes, Helena and Milton, which have wreaked havoc in Florida and North Carolina and killed more than 300 people.

“We’re all talking about how much more it’s ramped up”, Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, told The New York Times. He claimed there has been “a discernible difference in tone and aggression toward people in my field.”

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper (C) speaks as US President Joe Biden (R) and US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (L) listen during an Operational Briefing at Raleigh Emergency Operations Center following the passage of Hurricane Helene, in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 2, 2024. - The death toll from powerful storm Helene, which battered the southeastern United States, has climbed to at least 155, authorities said on October 1. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (centre) speaks as US President Joe Biden (right) and US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (left) in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 2]Mandel Ngan/AFP]

Misinformation

Officials have complained that misinformation and rumors have made recovery more difficult in recent weeks.

After a rumor that government officials planned to seize the famined village of Chimney Rock and bulldoze bodies beneath the rubble, Rutherford County, hard-hit North Carolina, has become a source of unrest.

On TikTok, conspiracies abound with bizarre claims that Helene was “geo-engineered” by the government to disrupt voting in Republican districts. According to scientists, there is no technology that can cause a storm.

According to emergency responders and officials, including US President Joe Biden, the flurry of conspiracies about Helene stirs confusion and undermines relief efforts.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell stated to the ABC TV network on Sunday, “This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people.” “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do. The state has backed us without a doubt.

Republican state senator Kevin Corbin from North Carolina pleaded in a Facebook post on October 3 to “Please stop this conspiracy theory junk.” People trying to do their jobs are merely distracted by it.

FEMA has so far distributed $40,000 in relief funds to 30, 000 homes in North Carolina, helping thousands of people who had been evacuated from their homes.

Around 1,500 active-duty soldiers are stationed in the state, and $100 million in federal funds are available for road and bridge repairs.

Distress helpline

Authorities and news outlets have repeatedly refuted allegations that militias continue to circulate on the internet to protest FEMA.

FEMA has made frequent announcements about how to assist hurricane survivors on social media, trying to do so. &nbsp, The agency also offers an emotional “Disaster Distress Helpline” for survivors.

“It’s okay to not be okay after a hurricane. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone”, one FEMA announcement reads on social media. “Take care of yourself — you matter”.