A North Carolina man was arrested following an alleged threat of violence against workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who were engaged in recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene. Authorities identified the man as 44-year-old William Jacob Parsons, who was apprehended by deputies from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. He was reportedly found with a rifle and handgun at the time of his arrest and has been charged with "going armed to the terror of the public," according to local law enforcement.
The incident occurred as FEMA workers were aiding in the relief efforts in the region, which had been severely affected by the devastating Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, causing widespread damage across five states, with North Carolina particularly hard hit. The storm killed over 200 people, and the recovery process has been slow, with residents in Rutherford County, where Parsons was arrested, struggling to clean up debris and mud left in the hurricane's wake.
Early reports suggested that the threat came from a group of armed militia targeting FEMA workers, but further investigation revealed that Parsons acted alone. "There were no truckloads of militia," the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a statement, dispelling earlier fears of a larger organized threat. However, Parsons' actions caused enough alarm that FEMA made an immediate decision to evacuate its workers from the affected areas out of concern for their safety.
FEMA officials in Rutherford County, which includes the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, received an alert warning them to stand down and evacuate the region. According to an email reported by The Washington Post, FEMA teams were instructed to temporarily relocate as law enforcement investigated the situation. Parsons was eventually tracked down and arrested by deputies, who did not report any injuries during the arrest. He was later released on a $10,000 bond, pending further legal proceedings.
Despite the disruption, FEMA has assured the public that its disaster recovery centers remain operational and that the agency is continuing its efforts to support North Carolina residents. "Disaster recovery centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery," FEMA said in a statement.
Hurricane Helene, one of the most destructive storms to hit the southeastern U.S. in recent years, wreaked havoc across multiple states. In North Carolina alone, tens of thousands of residents have been left without basic services, and recovery operations have been a monumental task. FEMA's disaster assistance teams had initially paused door-to-door operations in response to the threat but resumed normal activities shortly after Parsons' arrest.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell emphasized the agency's commitment to both its workers' safety and its mission of providing assistance to storm survivors. "Keeping FEMA staff safe while they are helping people in disaster-impacted communities is always my top priority," Criswell said in a statement. "I wanted to make sure we protected our staff on the ground while we worked diligently with local law enforcement to understand the full situation."
The agency's operations were temporarily restructured to ensure the safety of its workers. Rather than performing door-to-door visits, FEMA personnel were stationed at fixed locations until the threat was deemed under control. As law enforcement investigated the matter, FEMA also addressed concerns over misinformation that had spread across the affected areas.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, misinformation about FEMA's relief efforts has been rampant, with conspiracy theories circulating online. Some false claims suggested that the government manipulated the storm for nefarious purposes, while others accused FEMA of diverting disaster relief funds to support immigrants instead of storm victims. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas addressed these issues on Face the Nation, stating, "We have individuals in need of assistance who are entitled to assistance who aren't seeking it because of the false information."
President Joe Biden also spoke out against the growing wave of misinformation during a press conference, where he criticized some politicians for spreading baseless conspiracy theories. "Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congresswoman from Georgia, is now saying the federal government is literally controlling the weather. It's beyond ridiculous," Biden said, calling for an end to such dangerous falsehoods.
Despite these challenges, FEMA remains focused on helping North Carolina residents recover from the hurricane's devastation. Following the arrest of Parsons and the mitigation of the threat, the agency announced that its Disaster Survivor Assistance teams were back in the field, and housing inspectors were resuming scheduled inspections to ensure survivors could receive the aid they need.
As recovery efforts continue, authorities in North Carolina have remained on high alert for any further disruptions. Local law enforcement assured the public that no additional credible threats have been identified. "We are not aware of any additional, specific, and credible threats," Captain Jamie Keever of the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office told CBS News, emphasizing that law enforcement is continuing to monitor the situation closely.
The arrest of Parsons and the subsequent resumption of FEMA's operations mark a critical turning point in the recovery from Hurricane Helene. While the threat of violence briefly stalled the agency's relief efforts, FEMA's teams are now back to their core mission: helping North Carolina residents rebuild their lives after one of the most destructive storms in recent memory. As FEMA Administrator Criswell noted, "Thanks to our close partnership with Governor Roy Cooper and his team, as well as local law enforcement, FEMA teams will soon be back doing what they do best-meeting people where they are and going door-to-door to register survivors for assistance."