The claim: North Carolina State Police warned they will arrest FEMA employees who block Helene aid
An Oct. 7 Threads post ( direct link , archive link ) claims a state agency said it would arrest Federal Emergency Management Agency employees who get in the way of Hurricane Helene assistance.
"NC State Police just sent a warning to FEMA that they will arrest any FEMA agent who tries to prevent aid or rescue," reads the post, which is a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The Threads post was liked more than 1,000 times in a day. The X post was reposted 21,000 times.
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Our rating: False
There is no agency called the North Carolina State Police, but spokespeople for statewide police agencies said the claim is false.
FEMA 'valued partner' in storm response, agencies say
Helene left a path of destruction across the southeastern U.S. after making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26. The storm brought devastating flooding to parts of western North Carolina . In the aftermath, FEMA's disaster response has been the subject of many false claims and unsubstantiated rumors .
That's how Brian Haines , a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, characterized the claim. The department includes the State Highway Patrol, State Capitol Police and Alcohol Law Enforcement.
"This is absolutely a rumor," Haines said in an Oct. 7 email. "FEMA is a valued partner in our response efforts in western North Carolina."
He said FEMA has deployed more than 800 staff members and delivered more than 9 million liters of water and 7 million meals. The agency has given more than $33 million in aid to individuals, covering hotel expenses for more than 2,000 people.
Fact check : No, Trump didn't pledge only 3% of GoFundMe proceeds to Helene victims
Anjanette Grube , a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, likewise said the bureau is "not aware of any such warnings" and is working closely with FEMA.
"We are fully committed to supporting the citizens of our state and would never obstruct those efforts," Grube said. "Our mission is to support all resources here to help the people of North Carolina affected by this historic storm and its aftermath."
In an Oct. 7 news briefing , North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper pushed back against misinformation being spread about FEMA and the disaster response to Helene.
"We have thousands of local, state and federal officials who are working in North Carolina and who are making sure that people have what they need," Cooper said.
FEMA created a webpage addressing misinformation about the federal government's hurricane response. The website says claims that the agency is blocking aid and donations from getting to survivors are false. It also says the Federal Aviation Administration "is not restricting access for recovery operations" but working with "state and local officials to make sure everyone is operating safely in very crowded and congested airspace."
FEMA referred questions to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and did not provide additional comment. USA TODAY reached out to Threads and X users who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
Our fact-check sources:
- Brian Haines , Oct. 7, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- Anjanette Grube , Oct. 7-9, Email exchange with USA TODAY
- North Carolina Department of Public Safety, accessed Oct. 7, Press Releases
- North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, accessed Oct. 7, Press Releases 2024
- U.S. Department of Defense, Oct. 7, North Carolina Governor, FEMA, Northcom Leaders Speak on Helene Response
- The Associated Press, Oct. 7, FEMA administrator continues pushback against false claims as Helene death toll hits 230
- Federal Emergency Management Agency, accessed Oct. 8, Hurricane Rumor Response
- USA TODAY, Oct. 8, FEMA administrator pushes back on Trump claims on hurricane recovery efforts
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, North Carolina police didn't threaten FEMA arrests | Fact check
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