Documents Reveal a Deluge of Threats Directed at FEMA
A pair of deadly hurricanes last year in Florida and North Carolina sparked an influx of online conspiracies, threats against federal emergency management workers and doxxing of government officials, newly released FOIA records show
Piles of debris from Hurricane Helene in Treasure Island, Florida on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024.
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/BloombergWelcome back to another edition of FOIA Files! This week, I’d like to direct your attention to a FOIA-centric story I published yesterday with two of my Bloomberg News colleagues: Zahra Hirji, a climate reporter, and Davey Alba, who writes about big tech. The story is based on hundreds of pages of documents I recently obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It centers around Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the online conspiracies that sparked a barrage of threats directed towards officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which responded to the devastation. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.
FEMA has long been a punching bag for certain individuals with a political axe to grind. Last year, following twin hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida that resulted in at least 250 deaths and a combined $113 billion in damage, the agency became the subject of a misinformation campaign that played out on social media over its hurricane relief efforts.