Since Helene, FEMA has used portions of its website to combat misinformation about the agency’s response to the storm.
As Hurricane Milton threatens, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continued to push back on false claims pertaining to its response to Hurricane Helene.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday highlighted the agency’s expansive and growing collaborative efforts, urging residents in the hardest-hit areas to take advantage of the government’s assistance programs.
“We have thousands of people on the ground, not just federal, but also our volunteers in the private sector”, Criswell said while speaking at a news conference in North Carolina. “And frankly, that type of rhetoric is demoralizing to our staff that have left their families to come here and help the people of North Carolina. And we will be here as long as they’re needed.”
In the wake of Helene, misinformation has circulated in the ravaged communities, including false claims that the federal government is deliberately withholding aid from Republican areas. Presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have criticized FEMA’s response, saying without evidence that the agency’s disaster relief funding is being diverted to migrants or foreign conflicts.
