Buttigieg’s order grounding private drone flights in Hurricane Helene flood rescue zones crashes and burns: ‘You’re hiding something’
By Chris Nesi,
10 hours ago
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ordered private drone flights suspended in North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene flood zone, sparking fierce outcry from those frustrated by the government’s lackluster response to the deadly crisis.
“Drone pilots: Do not fly your drone near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene,” the official DOT X account wrote Tuesday afternoon, nearly a week after the storm brought near-unprecedented flooding to the mountainous region.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ordered private drone pilots to keep their aircraft away from rescue zones, drawing sharp criticism from many who are unimpressed with the government’s efforts. x/USDOT/
“Interfering with emergency response operations impacts search and rescue operations on the ground,” the announcement continued.
North Carolina has suffered the brunt of the death toll from last week’s historic storm , the west of the state accounting for 94 of the more than 200 casualties confirmed by authorities so far, with hundreds more still unaccounted for.
Despite these grim figures, many have expressed deep dissatisfaction or even anger with the tepid response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is on the verge of running out of funds after spending $640 million on the migrant crisis .
FEMA teams have rescued more than 2,100 people in their post-storm response efforts so far, but many have criticized the agency for not acting faster. x/SecretaryPete
Of the more than 200 deaths confirmed in the storm so far, at least 94 were from Western North Carolina. x/fema
Considering the maddeningly slow pace of the rescue effort, Buttigieg effectively ordered residents not to fend for themselves and instead put their trust in an agency many believe have already dropped the ball was adding insult to injury.
“You would think more eyes in the sky would be a good thing when there are people that need to be rescued but what do i know,” one X user replied.
“Your ‘help’ is worse than doing nothing,” seethed another.
Others pointed out how private drones have been used to deliver items like insulin and baby formula to those in need, particularly those living in more remote terrain who have been largely cut off from the rest of the world since the storm.
“Private citizen drones and helicopters have been saving lives for days, and still are. You should be ashamed,” said another user.
Some users felt the order was an effort to prevent citizen journalists from capturing the true extent of the damage on film.
“You’re hiding something,” a poster said accusingly.
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