Chilling Disinformation Threats Were Aimed at FEMA Workers, Documents Show
Emails and text messages obtained by FOIA Files from the US Forest Service reveal how investigators responded to threats aimed at FEMA personnel who were aiding victims of Hurricane Helene.
Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force search a flood damaged area in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.
Photographer: Mario Tama/Getty Images North AmericaThe level of disinformation around the government’s response to the trail of destruction from recent hurricanes that ripped through North Carolina and Florida has been absolutely mind boggling. It’s played out largely on social media where lies about relief efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, were amplified by X owner Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. A couple weeks ago, it took an even darker turn when the Washington Post reported that a North Carolina man—armed with an assault rifle—threatened FEMA personnel, forcing them to be relocated. Naturally, I deployed the Freedom of Information Act to see what else I could find out. Read more to find out what I got, in record time. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.
Musk’s social media platform, X, has been described as a cesspool where conspiracy theories and hate speech flourish. That may be true for many, but for me it’s a goldmine for generating FOIA-request ideas. The disinformation and misinformation surrounding FEMA’s work aiding victims of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton is a perfect example.