Federal emergency response personnel were warned to move to a different area after reports of threats from an armed militia in Rutherford County, North Carolina. A Saturday email from an official with the US Forest Service, which was seen by the Washington Post, warned multiple federal agencies that "FEMA has advised all federal responders Rutherford County, NC, to stand down and evacuate the county immediately." It said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was concerned about reports from National Guard troops who said they encountered "trucks of armed militia saying there were out hunting FEMA." Personnel were back in place by Sunday, however, sources say.
Two federal officials said the email was authentic, though it is not clear how credible the threat itself was. But WBTV cites a similar email sent on Saturday from Vanguard Inspection Services, an inspection agency that acts as a contractor for FEMA, and the station says sources with "direct knowledge of the threats" have confirmed the report. Misinformation has plagued Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, with tensions rising as rumors spread about the federal government's plans in North Carolina. There have been reports of locals shouting, "We don't want the government here" at employees trying to provide aid. (More Hurricane Helene stories.)
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