False online conspiracy theory hampers Helen’s response: NPR

Appalachian region, North Carolina and Tennessee. — It’s election season, so it might be no surprise that the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helen is a hot topic, especially on social media. However, some of the conspiracies, misinformation, and rumors being spread are unusual.

Enough for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deal with them directly: No, FEMA cannot seize land that is “deemed uninhabitable,” and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Rumors that the organization is confiscating individual donations are false, the agency said.

On the ground in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, NPR reporters are hearing echoes of this misinformation. But they also found that areas without internet access were less politicized and took a more nuanced view of the federal government’s response, especially since Helen hit the region hard.

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has become a particularly hot spot for political rumors and conspiracies. Sometimes they were even inspired by the billionaire himself.

Musk on Friday pushed back against common complaints online that the government is preventing civilians from providing aid to people in need. Musk said his “blood boiled” after engineers from his company SpaceX tried to offer assistance with a helicopter, but “@FEMA wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies.” ” he wrote.

The Federal Aviation Administration actually regulates the airspace, and the FAA said in a statement that the skies were busy after Helen and that it was trying to maintain safety. Air traffic in the region increased by 300% after the storm, and federal officials confirmed to NPR that there were more than 30 instances in which two planes nearly collided. There are no restrictions on aerial recovery operations.

Perhaps no area of ​​North Carolina has been the subject of more blatant online misinformation than Chimney Rock. These include persistent false claims that FEMA abandoned the village so the Biden administration could mine lithium there.

“Everything you see and hear is not true,” says Village Mayor Peter O’Leary.

“It’s a little disturbing and upsetting that people want to believe horrible things but not the real thing,” he says.

FEMA may be moving a little faster than it has in the past, he acknowledged, and there have been some frustrating moments. ” he says.

North Carolinians who have never experienced a natural disaster may be understandably wary of FEMA. The agency has received a lot of bad publicity in the past for its response to other disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

“People here aren’t going to put up with bureaucracy,” said Colt Truesdale of North Carolina, who organized a donation drive and benefit concert in Mill Spring Saturday afternoon. Like many people in the region, he does not wait for government support or leadership and takes matters into his own hands to help his neighbors.

“We’re just a different breed here, and it’s starting to get tough,” he laughs.

In Jonesboro, Tennessee, where the Nolichucky River flooded rural farms and homes, there are echoes of the online uproar, but also a desire to distance itself from politics.

“We’ve fallen into a bit of an internet black hole here,” says Molly Freeman, picking up muddy items from the flooded floor of her mother-in-law’s house and placing them in trash bags. “We’re just focused on helping each other and not paying too much attention.”

A local bar 1.5 miles down the road has become a collection and distribution center for donations and a source of hot meals for those helping local residents recover. It’s also a place for neighbors to catch up and share news, but not all of it is true.

“There’s no organization. It’s called community,” says Tabitha Swinehart, who has lived here for 30 years. When asked about the federal government’s response to storm damage, she says: There was nothing. We have yet to see the federal government’s response. ” FEMA said it has nearly 7,000 federal employees deployed across the region.

Swinehart then packs the hot meal into his blue four-wheel utility vehicle and speeds away to make the delivery down the impassable mountain road.

Stacey Puzio, owner of Green Turtle Garage Bar, is wearing a Trump T-shirt. “Almost everything in my entire wardrobe is playing cards or green turtles,” she laughs. Jonesboro is part of Washington County, which voted for Donald Trump by a 2-1 margin in 2020.

“Well, there are a lot of conservatives here who don’t like the government,” Puzio said. Power has just been restored to the bar, but she receives some politically charged misinformation about the federal government’s response to Helen.

“Someone said that (Vice President) Harris was going to generously send $750 to ease the burden of losing loved ones, pets, homes,” Puzio scoffed. . It’s different for everyone. ”

FEMA is distributing disaster relief, but says rumors that only $750 in aid is available are false. This is just one program called Serious Needs Assistance, which provides emergency assistance with “necessities such as food, water, formula, breastfeeding supplies, medicine, and other emergency supplies.” The agency says there are other programs available to help with costs such as temporary housing and home repairs.

Former President Donald Trump accused the Biden administration of “not going out of its way to help people in Republican areas.” But relief volunteers like Tyler King of Johnson City, Tenn., say they want to avoid partisanship for now.

“I think when that kind of thing comes into focus, we’re worrying about the wrong things,” King says. “I think it’s a little pointless to go down that path when there are people who are hurting, dying, and suffering.”

In addition to FEMA assistance, volunteer and community food and supply efforts help fill gaps, and these efforts sometimes lead to notable displays of partisanship.

In Swannanoa, North Carolina, wedding photographer Michael Freese dropped off a Starlink internet receiver at a park, where another grassroots relief effort has begun. His contribution earned him a comforting hug from one of the volunteers manning the donation table.

Asheville residents say they’re relieved to be able to put political tensions aside and focus on building neighborhood connections.

“Because of the climate, I haven’t heard from anyone about this or that, from what it looked like before the storm,” he said, adding that his interactions before the tragedy put everyone on common ground. I mentioned how political it was.

In fact, Freas says he has had unexpected and heartbreaking moments with people on the other side of the political spectrum. Among them was an unknown person who had parked a car with a MAGA bumper sticker on the same bridge Freas surveyed south of Asheville.

They stared at the destruction, then hugged each other. It was a moment of empathy that would have been unimaginable just a week ago.

“It was a very powerful moment,” he said. “I’ll remember it forever.”

NPR’s Joel Rose and Louisville Public Media’s Justin Hicks contributed to this article.