FEMA Calls Out Conspiracies and Rumors About Hurricane Helene Response: 'Frankly Ridiculous'

Mar. 15, 2025

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is pushing back against false claims and conspiracy theoriesabout Hurricane Heleneand the agency’sresponse to the disasterthat has been unfolding for more than week.

Among the claims that have circulated since Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 are that FEMA used its recovery funds to help immigrants illegally living in the United States, that destroyed towns will be bulldozed and the land given to the government and that Democrats somehow manipulated the weather so Helene would impact Republican-leaning and swing states ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

“FEMA absolutely has enough money for Helene response right now,” the acting director of the agency’s Office of Response and Recovery, Keith Turi, said,according to the Associated Press.

FEMA has also launcheda “rumor response” page, styled as an FAQ, to address what it says is some of the most notable misinformation.

During an appearance on ABC News’This Weekon Sunday, Oct. 6, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said false claims about Helene and the government response are “frankly ridiculous” and unhelpful as the agency works to assist those in need nearly two weeks after the storm hit.

“This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,” Criswell told hostGeorge Stephanopoulos. “It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do.”

A member of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force searches a flood-damaged property with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.Mario Tama/Getty

Mario Tama/Getty

The “dangerous narrative” being spread about the response to the storm is creating fear among those whom FEMA is hoping will reach out to them for help, according to Criswell.

She told Stephanopoulos that the narrative has also been “demoralizing” to first responders and had a “tremendous impact on the comfort level of our own employees to go out there” where assistance is needed.

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FEMA’s recovery work in the wake of disasters has long been closely watched — as one of the key government bodies that responds to emergencies — and it has been criticized in the past. Agency officials say the baseless information now is a different problem, though.

“When you have this dangerous rhetoric like you’re hearing, it creates fear in our own employees,” Criswell said onThis Week, “and we need to make sure that we get help to the people who need it."

ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty

Former PresidentDonald Trump, the Republican nominee for the 2024 election, has been spreading the false claim that FEMA used its hurricane recovery funds to help immigrants illegally living in the U.S.

Elon Musk has alsoshared multiple postson X (which he purchased in 2022) that perpetuate similar rhetoric surrounding FEMA’s response to the storm.

PresidentJoe Bidensaid in astatementon Sunday that his administration has an “obligation to stand with impacted communities as they rebuild their lives” after Helene, which killed hundreds of people and caused billions of dollars in damages across six states.

“We will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes,” Biden added.

To learn more about how to help with relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene,click here.

source: people.com