LENOIR, N.C. — A North Carolina man has been arrested and accused of making terroristic threats against FEMA workers helping with Hurricane Helene relief. Investigators determined he worked alone and dispelled earlier information about a 'truckload of militia' targeting FEMA workers.
The threats caused a disruption to the Federal Emergency Management Agency operations over the weekend.
On Saturday, officials in Rutherford County, North Carolina received a call about a man with an assault rifle who had commented about harming FEMA employees in nearby Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. The small mountainous communities were severely damaged during Helene.
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"So I immediately took action to pull our team from the field until we could validate what that was," Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said on Monday. "I kept them in firehouses and in the disaster recovery centers. I kept them in other fixed locations."
Investigators accuse William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina, of making the threats. He was arrested and charged with Going Armed to the Terror of the Public.
The sheriff’s office said initial reports indicated that a militia was involved in making the threat but further investigation determined that Parsons acted alone.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting hurricane recovery work, sent a message to multiple federal agencies, warning that FEMA had advised all federal responders in Rutherford County to leave the county immediately.
The message stated that National Guard troops had encountered “armed militia” saying they were "out hunting FEMA.” Information from the sheriff's office on Monday indicates that the information was not accurate.
Parsons posted a $10,000 bond and was released from custody, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
Messages left by the Associated Press seeking comment at phone listings for Parsons and a possible relative were not immediately returned.
FEMA confirmed to WCNC Charlotte on Sunday it had made operational changes as a result of the threats.
"FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance," the spokesperson wrote to WCNC Charlotte. "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."
FEMA had reportedly reopened its disaster relief support centers after seemingly closing them on Sunday due to undisclosed threats, according to the Ashe County Sheriff's Office.
After posting on Sunday that FEMA had "paused their process" because of an "abundance of caution" following "threats made against them," the sheriff's office posted again on Monday to say operations had returned to normal.
“Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don’t stir the pot,” Ashe County Sheriff B. Phil Howell wrote Sunday.
Other people posted to social media to discuss the FEMA changes. Someone posted on the subreddit for Asheville that their FEMA inspection had been canceled for Sunday because of the threats. WCNC Charlotte cannot independently verify the claim.
Criswell returned to North Carolina's ongoing Hurricane Helene relief efforts on Monday. The administrator had left behind federal resources when she went to Florida to tour storm damage from Hurricane Milton.
Critics allege the agency is not doing enough to help survivors, while false rumors circulating ahead of the presidential election include claims that people taking federal relief money could see their land seized or that FEMA is halting trucks full of supplies.
“We have thousands of people on the ground, not just federal, but also our volunteers in the private sector,” Criswell said at a previous news conference in Asheville, North Carolina. “And frankly, that type of rhetoric is demoralizing to our staff that have left their families to come here and help the people of North Carolina. And we will be here as long as they’re needed.”
Both Republican and Democratic elected officials have been trying to dispel rumors targeted at the FEMA response.
FEMA has also tried to assure the residents of western North Carolina that their assistance will not be diminished by newly-launched assistance in Florida.
The Associated Press contributed to this report