LAKE LURE, NC (WGHP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency was forced to temporarily pause aid efforts in parts of North Carolina over the weekend after alleged threats were made against teams working on recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
Among those who reported receiving threats were FEMA employees working in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas of North Carolina.
On Saturday, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies were called to a report of a man with an assault rifle who allegedly made a comment about harming the FEMA employees.
Authorities identified the man as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic. According to investigators, Parsons had posted on Facebook calling for people to “overtake” the Lake Lure FEMA site, which he believed was withholding supplies from hurricane survivors.
“We the people are sick and tired of the BS,” the post read. Parsons read the message while speaking with Nexstar’s WGHP on Tuesday. “We the people are seeking volunteers to join us and overtake the FEMA site in Lake Lure and send the products up the mountains this Saturday. We the people are done playing games. It’s time to show who we are and what we believe. They want to screw our citizens. Now, we return the favor.”
When asked about his post, Parsons explained that he believed FEMA was failing to help residents in need.
“I viewed it as if our people are sitting here on American soil, and they’re refusing to aid our people,” he said. “So we were going to go up there and forcefully remove that fence.”
Upon arriving at Lake Lure, however, Parsons said he realized the situation was different than he had imagined.
“I went up and saw that there was absolutely nothing there, so I stayed, and I volunteered all day,” he said.
Law enforcement officials, already alerted to the potential threat, arrested Parsons at the scene. He was charged with “going armed to the terror of the public.” At the time of his arrest, Parsons was said to be armed with a handgun and a rifle.
He insists he was simply exercising his Second Amendment rights and that his Facebook post was a call to action, not a call for violence.
“They want to sit here and lie and say I was carrying guns around. I had one gun on me, which was legally owned and sitting on the side of my hip, and I had a rifle and another pistol that were in my vehicle that were both lawful and legal to own,” Parsons said.
Parsons was charged with going armed to the terror of the public and released later that day on a $10,000 secured bond.
In response to the incident, FEMA has adjusted its operations across the region to protect both workers and residents. The agency emphasized that these changes are temporary and stressed that they continue to provide much-needed assistance to communities affected by recent storms.
FEMA teams continue to help residents register for disaster assistance, but some personnel have been moved to secure locations rather than conducting door-to-door outreach.
Misinformation has been a major factor in heightening tensions across western North Carolina. Some residents, swayed by false reports online, have refused aid from FEMA and expressed distrust in government relief efforts.
In neighboring Tennessee on Saturday, FEMA workers in the Elk Mills community were reportedly confronted by an armed group of people who were critical of the agency’s work. After the situation was diffused by another volunteer, that group returned with supplies for donation, Nexstar’s WJHL reports. Authorities believe the group was from North Carolina.
Authorities in North Carolina have worked to address these concerns, urging the public to remain calm and focus on recovery efforts. The Ashe County Sheriff’s Office released a statement clarifying the situation.
“We wanted to address the current issues being spread about FEMA in Ashe County. As a response, they have been here to help and assist those in need. Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them. This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties. Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats. Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don’t stir the pot,” Sheriff Phil Howell said.
The Avery County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that local FEMA operations had been affected by the incident.
“We have had no credible threats or received any information pertaining to threats toward FEMA in Avery County. We are aware of the threat that was made in Polk County and that the individual was arrested in Rutherford County. It did affect FEMA operations here as it did in several counties,” a spokesperson said.
Gov. Roy Cooper’s office addressed both the threats and the widespread misinformation fueling them.
“We are aware of significant misinformation online and reports of threats to response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be taken seriously. The governor has directed the Department of Public Safety to identify with local law enforcement the specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure safety and security as this recovery effort continues,” Cooper’s office said in a statement.
Despite these challenges, FEMA has approved disaster assistance for more than 75,000 households. Four disaster recovery centers are currently open in Buncombe, McDowell, Caldwell, and Jackson Counties with more centers expected to open in the coming days.