Anytime, there’s a huge natural disaster – like Hurricane Helene’s hit on Western North Carolina and nearby areas in other states – there’s always a lot of confusion and rumors, especially when, as in this case, much of the communications infrastructure has been destroyed and a lot of information is therefore incomplete, inaccurate or being spread by word from one hurricane victim to another.
Adding to the confusion is that the deeply divided country is one month away from an election and since absolutely everything is politicized right now, the same goes for storm relief.
This time around, the Federal Emergency Management Agency – better known as “FEMA,” has felt a need to post information addressing multiple rumors that have been gaining traction in the wake of the storm.
For instance, one rumor is this: Applying multiple times for disaster assistance will speed up the process of being approved.
The fact, according to agency officials, is that people only need to apply for assistance one time per household. Actually, filling out and sending in more than one application per disaster can cause delays rather than speed things up.
Here are some other rumors along with FEMA’s responses….
Rumor: The FAA is restricting access to the airspace for Helene rescue and recovery operations.
The fact, according to FEMA, is that the FAA isn’t restricting access for recovery operations.
“The FAA is coordinating closely with state and local officials to make sure everyone is operating safely in very crowded and congested airspace,” the agency states.
Rumor: FEMA distributes aid based on demographic characteristics.
Fact: “FEMA provides assistance to survivors regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.”
Rumor: FEMA is in the process of confiscating Helene survivor property. If I apply for disaster assistance and my land is deemed unlivable, my property will be seized.
Fact: “FEMA cannot seize your property or land. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.”
The agency goes on to state that, when you apply for disaster assistance, a FEMA inspector might be sent to verify the damage of your home to help determine what kind of disaster assistance you might be eligible for. If the inspection finds that your home is uninhabitable, that information is used only to decide the amount of FEMA assistance you may receive to make your home “safe, sanitary and functional.”
Rumor: FEMA is no longer accepting applications for housing assistance.
Agency officials state that FEMA is still accepting assistance applications for all the areas affected by Helene. You can visit disasterassistance.gov to get more information.
Rumor: FEMA does not have enough money to provide disaster assistance for Helene.
Currently, FEMA has enough money for its immediate response and recovery efforts related to the storm. Agency officials say that anyone affected by Helene shouldn’t hesitate to apply for disaster assistance. There are a variety of types of help available for those with different needs.
Rumor: Funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.
FEMA states that no money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response and assistance is funded from the Disaster Relief Fund, That’s a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money hasn’t been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.
Rumor: FEMA is asking for cash donations and turning away volunteers.
FEMA responds, “This is false: FEMA does not ask for or generally accept any cash donations or volunteers for disaster response. We do encourage people who want to help to volunteer with or donate cash to reputable voluntary or charitable organizations. After a disaster, cash is often the best way to help as it provides the greatest flexibility for these reputable organizations working on the ground to purchase exactly what is needed.”
If you find somebody claiming to represent FEMA asking you for a donation, that is likely a scam. FEMA employees will never solicit money.
Rumor: FEMA is confiscating donations meant for survivors.
There are often rumors about FEMA turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating and seizing supplies often spread after a disaster. These are all false.
FEMA does not take donations and/or food from survivors or voluntary organizations. Donations of food, water, or other goods are handled by volunteer agencies that specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning, and distributing donated items.
Also, FEMA doesn’t conduct vehicle stops or handle road closures with armed guards – that’s done by local law enforcement.
Rumor: FEMA will only provide $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.
This is false, according to FEMA, this is a type of assistance that you may be approved for soon after you apply. It’s called “Serious Needs Assistance,” which is merely a quick, upfront, flexible payment that’s meant to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, medication, etc.
As the application review process continues, you can still receive additional forms of assistance for needs such as support for temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs.
Well I am a senior citizen in Western North Carolina I called FEMA last Friday this being Sunday I have not heard one word from FEMA the 750 dollars has not come here I have damages like everyone else I was without power for 8 days no FEMA help I’m here waiting
Why in the world would someone living in Western NC be reading the Rhino Times?
Because it’s a great news source!
Apparently unless it is breaking down conservative misinformation given the conservative commenter here trying to debunk the debunked news as reported by the Rhino.
For folks in Guilford County yes but not much if any of the reporting would be applicable to anyone outside of Guilford.
I have several friends and relatives who grew up here and now live in WNC. They just enjoy keeping up with their family and roots.
Icall bs the reason people in wnc read the Rhino Times is maybe they fell as I more truth than the main stream media!!
Yes, but the reporting is about Guilford County matters. Not much else. I just find it a bit far fetched but to each his own.
Nothing like people in NC wish ill on WNC people suffering from lose so they can have a ‘gotcha’ talking point on social media to make the other political party look bad.
Don’t try to claim lying about FEMA recovery assistance isn’t wishing ill on people in WNC. All it does is spread additional anxiety to those already worried about how they will get their life back together.
instead, why not spread the praise of all those individuals (many who have suffered great loss themselves) helping their neighbors and community members in Western North Carolina: The members of the US National Guard and 82nd Airborne, the 1000s of volunteer organizations and individuals helping with the recovery operations, the State and Local officials, police, fire, and emergency response teams who are coordinating this amazing response to a dire need. And yes, FEMA who is working to distribute funds, supplies and resources for the benefit of the Great State of North Carolina. Thank you all for all you are doing in the name or restoring life into one of the most beautiful places in the United States.
But you be you.
Ok everyone bend down and praise the almighty OZ, chris has spoken
Stop trying to spread the propaganda of the Biden Administration as being fact. Millions have been diverted from the FEMA budget for Illegals as reported in multiple news outlets. Where did you think all that money for the hotels, debit cards. healthcare and education was coming from that they could hide? Taking it out of FEMA`s budget makes perfect sense when you consider almost no one would question the expenditures of this agency, assuming the money was being spent for the citizens of this nation for disaster spending and agents to be on-site. That is, until the day when there is none left to ACTUALLY need on a disaster. Then $750 checks are sent to those who have lost everything, while it takes a week for anyone to actually get sent to where a disaster is.
How about the rumor that FEMA agents do nothing after arriving? This was verified when a volunteer used his own helicopter to retrieve people from remote areas in the mountains and took them to a hotel for shelter, only to be told all the rooms were booked for FEMA agents who were twiddling there thumbs waiting for leadership and direction on what to do!
FEMA can stay the hell out of Asheville and surrounding areas, while neighbors and North Carolinians from around the state will do their jobs for them, including raising money to feed, clothe, and otherwise help those in the mountain communities.
Millions were not diverted. This has been debunked numerous times. Yes, FEMA has a SEPERATE budget for assisting states with the cost of taking on immigrants, but that budget was NOT created at the expense of FEMA’s emergency response budget. For what you are saying to be trued, FEMA would have had to have reduced it emergency response budget to fund the immigration assistance budget WHICH DIDN”T HAPPEN.
Amazing how conservatives will still repeat the lie long after it has been debunked.
Rumors? Stop with that garbage. This disaster area spans the entire mountain range of Western North Carolina. FEMA has setup bases in most of the major areas and has relied on National Guard, Airforce and Army air support in addition to a private non-profit group early in the recovery. There is so much air support for WNC, that the FAA has had to issue directions for private aircraft entering the airspace to avoid collisions as there have already been several near misses.
Take your hate and redirect it into support and prayers for WNC. You really are not helping anyone with your misinformation and hate of federal government.
But you be you.
Fema is a waste, spent all their money on illegal immigrants
In the comment section of an article about misinformation, conservatives of course continue to spread lies and misinformation. Paint me shocked.
FEMA has more than one fund. They did not reduce one fund to fund the other fund so stop with your lies. You are fool do no good for the people of WNC.
The useless agencies and failed policies of FDR, LBJ , Carter, and even Nixon & Bush Jr. have cost us more than we may ever recover from. Defund every last one of them. Government is not the solution, it is in fact the problem. Support the people of NC, not silly government agencies. If We The People had the monies funding the agencies supposedly helping, and weren’t paying bureaucrats to shuffle the pieces on the board, we would all be gladly pitching in those dollars directly to where they’re needed. It would be eye opening to see the administrative and operating costs of every person there with a patch on their sleeve. Please help these folks all you can, but I wouldn’t trust Uncle Sam to do much more than make a big show, fix their radio & communications equipment & band-aid the roads back together.
Yeah, why would people who have lost everything need funding and governmental supplies and military support to help get back on their feed. The people who lost it all in WNC should just suck it up and take care of themselves. Why is there loss my loss?
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The Fourth Estate has a duty and a right to search for truth, but it shouldn’t serve as a megaphone for government agencies and the propagation of “their facts”.
It’s just too cozy, and is reminiscent of organs like Pravda and Izvestia.
The rebuttals of rumors here are simple restatements of FEMA’s line, not independent investigation by The Rhino.
I’m sorry, but that’s not journalism, it’s propaganda.
YEAH, go listen to some guy who hasn’t been involved in any way with what is actually happening on the ground and stop listening to the local, state and federal coordinators who are actually dedicating their time and energy to the great people of NC. Go find that one person in a remote location that hasn’t seen all the piles of supplies, machinery, aircraft, and people. Don’t believe the people actually working to get those supplies and funds to those people. Just believe me, the guy who openly hates government and continually spreads misinformation even after it has been debunked by creditable sources. Don’t believe the videos of the mass of people, supplies and machinery at work in WNC. Believe me because everyone else is lying to you.
Hey, you’re a right wanker, aren’t you?
Don’t put words in my mouth and don’t mischaracterize me, buddy.
If you want to actually debate the contention I made, go ahead !
I posited that simply regurgitating FEMA’s claims is not journalism, it’s propaganda.
You wanna try to reftute that? Or is that abstraction beyond the ability of your brain cells? Both of them.
C’mon, I can hardly wait to be enlightened by your perspicacity and profundity….
Oh, and you got the wrong word in “creditable”. Surely you meant credible… unless you’re an imbecile.
Hey! Don’t point out how absurd my comment when read by others.
Try again, Einstein. Nobody knows what that means.
Did you fail Elementary English?
I have nothing of value to say so I will spew personal insults because I can’t read past a simple typo.
You certainly don’t have anything of value to say.
And I didn’t target you – you targeted me by name. But you had nothing, and only displayed your jaw dropping vacuity.
Next time at least have the balls to use a real name.
I hate to fact check the word smithing and legalese speak but the dirt is always in the details so here we go…
#1. “Rumor: The FAA is …restricting access to the airspace… for Helene rescue and recovery operations.”
– Private helicopters are/were being restricted from assisting (taking off the ground) in relief efforts. It has NOTHING to do with airspace access. The pilots were told to stand down or face legal actions.
– Sooo.. its true there are “no air space restrictions” but the real issue is private helicopters are/were being prevented from “taking off into the airspace”.
– A distinction with a huge difference. Spin it all you want.
#2 “Rumor: FEMA is confiscating donations meant for survivors.
Again. Details is the dirt. “FEMA does not take donations and/or food from survivors or voluntary organizations.”
Thats not the issue. Issue is if you donate to a “public venue site or FEMA site” then FEMA is reallocating the donations beyond the locale of the donation (i.e. Avery County donation goes to Buncombe). Local church donations are NOT being reallocated..yet.
So yes, FEMA isnt confiscating (nice inflammatory word choice) donations from voluntary organizations or taking stuff out of survivors hands but it does reallocate (take) public donations from place to place (e.g. local donations d9nt stay local) even if the need is very much local.
#1 Airspace requires management. There have already been several near misses so yup, FAA does THEIR JOB and manages the flow of air craft. Given the massive response, the airspace is seeing unprecedented traffic and FAA has to manage that traffic.
#2 So you are upset that FEMA is doing THEIR JOB and allocating resources as widely as possible?
What are you going on about?
um….you might want to read the comments above. Your comment is completely out of place and irrelevant in the context. Maybe you were anticipating some other comments and just couldn’t wait to respond to them. Those comments didn’t come so you had to put yours in there anyway.
Kinda pathetic. are you paid to shill or are you just a devoted cult member?
Straight out of the mouth of white house press secretary KJP in September 2022, FEMA was using FEMA funds for housing and food for illegal migrants. Look up the video and see the statement coming from her and now she tries to deny that FEMA used funds for illegals. Guess she forgot she was on video or she’s just lying as usual.
I hate to fact check the word smithing and legalese speak but the dirt is always in the details so here we go…
#1. “Rumor: The FAA is …restricting access to the airspace… for Helene rescue and recovery operations.”
– Private helicopters are/were being restricted from assisting (taking off the ground) in relief efforts. It has NOTHING to do with airspace access. The pilots were told to stand down or face legal actions.
– Sooo.. its true there are “no air space restrictions” but the real issue is private helicopters are/were being prevented from “taking off into the airspace”.
– A distinction with a huge difference. Spin it all you want.
#2 “Rumor: FEMA is confiscating donations meant for survivors.
Again. Details is the dirt. “FEMA does not take donations and/or food from survivors or voluntary organizations.”
That’s not the issue. Issue is if you donate to a “public venue site or FEMA site” then FEMA is reallocating the donations beyond the locale of the donation (i.e. Avery County donation goes to Buncombe). Local church donations are NOT being reallocated. Yet.
So yes, FEMA isn’t confiscating (nice inflammatory word choice) donations from voluntary organizations or taking stuff out of survivors hands but it does reallocate (take) public donations from place to place (e.g. local donations d9nt stay local) even if the need is very much local.
I’m amazed the Rhino Times thinks it is of any public value or interest to print such BS from that agency. FEMA didn’t even show up in Asheville until October 3 and that boob of a president we have apparently didn’t get permission from Obama to issue Title X orders for the military to deploy until yesterday. Great video of Glen Beck and Congressman Corey Mills talking to that FEMA rep last Friday.
National guard was on ground day 1. Military was requested Oct 2. FEMA was on the ground within 24 hours after the storm with a large number of search and rescue teams but given the size of the disaster area (the entirety of Western North Carolina) takes time to reach everyone, but local and state resources were also deployed along with 100s of other local search and rescue groups (many who themselves suffered great personal loss)
There is such a massive outpouring of support for WNC, that FAA has had difficulty keeping the airspace safe. So far they are doing a great job with a very difficult situation.
Stop pretending the WNC isn’t being supported to feed your anti-government fantasies. It really is pathetic.
Gosh Chris i seem to recall some past President patting someone on the back talking about FEMA and saying “good job Brownie “ this as New Orleans was drowning. Same ole FEMA same BS today
The difference here is that local rescue services are stating they have what they need right now but worry about the future given the scale of the disaster and time and money it will take to recover.
The reason local services were there from day 1 was because they live there along with family and friends not to mention FEMA was slow to get there no matter what you say. Maybe like most Americans should Don’t depend on the government. It’s time to turn the clock back to 1861
Amazing how Trumpers are happy to make up lies just as their dear leader continues to do. Trump again repeats his bold faced lie the Coopernis withholding aid. Of course this is a lie but moron Trumpers beleive and add to the division amd hate when we need unity and courage.
If Trump is your leader you are following a con man and fraud. It’s discussing to give him as pass on lying about aid distribution during times such as NC is facing. It shows your lack of character, morals and ethics.
Show me one local or state official complaining about lack of aid. Bet you can’t. But I fully understand that Trumpers don’t care about truth or facts.
But you be you.
This is a good report. This is FEMA policy, but is it the actual MO? Nowdays, how can you believe one source? How can you confirm the story with another source?
I’ve watched a lot of videos on the disaster area. The TV stations and networks make entertainment out of the disaster. The only ones I found worthwhile were eyewitness accounts from people who live there. Even then, there are some complaints that are personal, rather than factual.
I have managed to speak with two people in Buncombe County that I know personally; one in Fletcher, and one in Black Mountain. Both phoned me from their autos while charging their phone. It is really bad. They have no power or water, no cash that they need to buying anything. It is really bad. Fortunately, there are enough local
sources where they can get food, supplies, gas.
Water is the #1 item in demand. Take a look around your house and imagine being without water for a (long) while. How many days can you live without water? Only a few.
I have to ask Chris how much he’s getting from his handlers for TRYING to defend the abortion called the FEMA response. Your tidal wave of false, incorrect information (aka BS) was so high I had to get up on the table to be able to to breathe.
And I have to ask, reluctantly, who wrote this article. Please Scott, tell us it wasn’t you. I’ve talked to folks coming out of WNC and the best way I can sum it up “FEMA who?” And I would ask who it was that responded to a request from a family that needed to get information about loved one who was later found dead BY PRIVATE VOLUNTEER CITIZENS that responded to the call fro help, not FEMA.
The disaster that hit WNC is, IMO, the only thing bigger then the disaster called the FEMA response. The whining about we have no money is BS because I know the had they wanted to, the Bumbling Biden Mafia-like family could have redirected money from their pet project of supporting illegal aliens with free hotels, food, and an allowance of a hell of a lot more then a one time $750 handout. And now the (National Socialist) Democrat Party sees an opportunity to play with OUR election and steal NC from the conservatives.
I pray for the people of WNC, FLA, and most of all my family in central Florida, because the words of the great Ronald Regan when he spoke of the most dreaded phrase in America…”I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Given that this disaster covers the entire WNC Appalachian mountain range, you should not be surprised that people don’t ‘see’ FEMA resources. FEMA is coordinating supplies and funds from central locations and coordinating the distribution of those supplies using a range of resources, including National guard, Airforce, Army, Non-profit groups and volunteers. The outpouring of support for WNC is amazing these last several days.
The fact you expect everyone to get a personal visit from FEMA shows you either don’t appreciate the scale of this event or you are just willfully ignorant in your claim that FEMA has failed WNC. In no scenario was FEMA ever expected to handle this even on their own. I give great praise to all involved. You should to.
If you want to meet FEMA personnel, go to Boone. Volunteer and donate. Stop sitting on your couch as a critic hating those giving their all to help the people of WNC. The people have lost enough and don’t need your uninformed opinion feeding their despair.
But you be you.
“Stop sitting on your couch as a critic hating those giving their all to help the people of WNC.”
Spent 20+ as a volunteer. Military service
During that time worked as a volunteer with County rescue squad when not deployed.
Currently caring for my 92 y.o. father.
So what’s your illustrious record of volunteer work? And show me where I was “… a critic hating those giving their all to help the people of WNC.”
I’m not looking for an ATTABOY, I’m just saying I and others like me have walked the walked while those like you just talk the talk.
i am not the critic. I am giving praise unlike yourself who prefers to ignore the great work of these volunteers and professionals helping the people of the Great State of North Carolina. So far 99% of the critics I am hearing are people sitting on their couch like you (hiding behind your past military service makes you look even more pathetic in your criticism).
But you be you. The angry little man that you are.
Owww…Ouch…damn Chris, you got me. I guess I’m not the almighty little boy you show yourself to be.
As I say. You be you.
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I suspect that our Village Idiot Chris is now operating under other names in this column. “IcallBS”, and the “Translation Machine” comments.
I bet it’s him. You can smell it.
(sniff, sniff) I’ll be doggone if you ain’t right Austin
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Thanks, Alan.
It’s obviously him, when you look at various criteria.
After years of spouting off, he can’t even own up to his own comments.
That’s pretty much the definition of a pathetic little wanker. Which is exactly what he is.