US emergency personnel ‘targeted by militia,’ reports WaPo
US federal employees were compelled to evacuate a county in North Carolina because militias were “hunting” them, according to a report by the Washington Post. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A federal agency reportedly withdrew its personnel from a county in western North Carolina last week.
Federal employees who were responding to Hurricane Helene in Rutherford County faced threats from militias and had to temporarily pull out, according to the Washington Post on Sunday.
An email from a US Forest Service official, which assists the Federal Emergency Management Agency, instructed federal responders to “stand down and evacuate the county immediately.” This warning followed claims from members of the National Guard, who encountered “trucks of armed militia saying there [sic] were out hunting FEMA.”
The Post stated that two federal officials confirmed the authenticity of this message, though it remained unclear how serious the threat was considered. One source indicated that federal employees were relocated to a “safe area,” causing recovery operations in the region to be halted. By Sunday afternoon, personnel had returned to their posts, according to officials who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Journalist Brianna Sacks, who wrote the article, later shared on her X account that a firefighter crew had been advised to avoid certain areas along the North Carolina-Tennessee border “due to communities being governed by armed militias” there.
The Post characterized the situation in Rutherford County as a reflection of ongoing security challenges in western North Carolina. Since Hurricane Helene struck the state two weeks ago, “misinformation and rumors have made the recovery more difficult,” with reports suggesting that some local residents were unwilling to cooperate with federal officials.
Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official, commented, “It’s terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government. And it’s sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most.”
The Appalachian region, which includes western North Carolina, is often viewed as less affluent and has been seen by many as neglected by the coastal political elites. This area also harbors a long history of anti-federal sentiment.
On Friday, President Joe Biden condemned “reckless, irresponsible, and relentless disinformation and outright lies” that were allegedly behind the death threats directed at emergency response workers during discussions of the government’s response to the hurricane.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Federal employees who were responding to Hurricane Helene in Rutherford County faced threats from militias and had to temporarily pull out, according to the Washington Post on Sunday.
An email from a US Forest Service official, which assists the Federal Emergency Management Agency, instructed federal responders to “stand down and evacuate the county immediately.” This warning followed claims from members of the National Guard, who encountered “trucks of armed militia saying there [sic] were out hunting FEMA.”
The Post stated that two federal officials confirmed the authenticity of this message, though it remained unclear how serious the threat was considered. One source indicated that federal employees were relocated to a “safe area,” causing recovery operations in the region to be halted. By Sunday afternoon, personnel had returned to their posts, according to officials who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Journalist Brianna Sacks, who wrote the article, later shared on her X account that a firefighter crew had been advised to avoid certain areas along the North Carolina-Tennessee border “due to communities being governed by armed militias” there.
The Post characterized the situation in Rutherford County as a reflection of ongoing security challenges in western North Carolina. Since Hurricane Helene struck the state two weeks ago, “misinformation and rumors have made the recovery more difficult,” with reports suggesting that some local residents were unwilling to cooperate with federal officials.
Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official, commented, “It’s terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government. And it’s sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most.”
The Appalachian region, which includes western North Carolina, is often viewed as less affluent and has been seen by many as neglected by the coastal political elites. This area also harbors a long history of anti-federal sentiment.
On Friday, President Joe Biden condemned “reckless, irresponsible, and relentless disinformation and outright lies” that were allegedly behind the death threats directed at emergency response workers during discussions of the government’s response to the hurricane.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
