Relief Workers Forced to Run for Their Lives as Armed Militias Storm In!

Government officials in North Carolina had to evacuate after receiving threats from armed civilians claiming they were “hunting” for hurricane relief workers. These incidents took place in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, spreading fear among those managing disaster relief.

According to The Washington Post, on Saturday, a U.S. Forest Service official alerted various federal agencies about National Guard troops encountering two trucks filled with armed militia members. The militia reportedly stated they were “out hunting FEMA,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is tasked with coordinating disaster response efforts.

The email, which has been confirmed as authentic, stated that incident management teams had been alerted and were organizing the evacuation of all personnel from Rutherford County. By Sunday afternoon, officials were cleared to return to the area, but similar threats emerged in Ashe County the same day. The local sheriff’s office informed the public that FEMA had to “pause their process” while officials assessed the level of risk, as Axios reports.

These alarming events highlight the dangerous effects of misinformation surrounding the storms and the government’s response. False theories about Hurricanes Helene and Milton have fueled fear and chaos. Some of the most extreme ideas have been pushed by public figures, such as Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Last week, in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, Greene suggested that unknown forces were “controlling the weather” using extraterrestrial laser technology to influence elections.

Other conspiracy theorists have suggested that the hurricanes were engineered to cover up corporate greed, specifically to help companies mining lithium. They’ve also claimed that people were intentionally abandoned in disaster zones, with no basis in fact.

Former President Donald Trump has contributed to the confusion by falsely accusing the Democratic Party of withholding disaster relief from Republican voters. He also claimed, without evidence, that emergency funds were being redirected to support undocumented migrants. These statements, lacking in truth, only added to the tension.

In response to the growing flood of misinformation, FEMA has had to create a “rumor response” page on its website to combat false claims. But the recent reports of armed militias roaming North Carolina are a sobering reminder that these disinformation campaigns are having real-world consequences.

“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,” said Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official from Asheville, North Carolina, in an interview with *The Washington Post*.

“And it’s sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most.”

The confusion and panic spurred by misinformation are making it harder for relief workers to do their jobs, leaving the most vulnerable at risk. The chaos in North Carolina is just the latest example of how conspiracy theories and false information can have dangerous and far-reaching consequences during times of crisis. It’s not just a battle against the forces of nature, but also a fight against the harmful effects of disinformation, which is obstructing the delivery of much-needed help to those affected by the hurricanes.