Tennessee's mayor on Friday joined other local officials in condemning the skepticism and rumors swirling around the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to Hurricane Helen's devastation in the southeastern United States.
Republican Mayor Glenn Jacobs of Knox County, Tennessee, suggested in an online post that attacks on his administration could make recovery efforts even more difficult.
“As far as I know, FEMA, TEMA, or anywhere else has not confiscated any supplies,” said Jacobs, a former professional wrestler. I wrote it in a post on Friday. On social platform
“It would be great if everyone could put aside their hatred for a moment and come together to help,” he added.
The message came days after allegations surfaced that FEMA does not have enough funds to provide disaster relief, is stealing cash donations from survivors and is refusing volunteers.
It also follows former President Trump's skepticism about the Biden administration's response to the deadly storm, which claimed FEMA would use hurricane funds for migrants. The White House pushed back on those claims Friday, accusing Republicans of “using Hurricane Helen to lie and divide us.”
To curb misinformation, the agency has launched a “Response to Rumors” page.advise the publicFind and share information from trusted sources and stop others from sharing details from unverified sources. It also seeks to dispel rumors as the search for storm victims continues in several states and authorities battle road closures and power outages.
“FEMA does not accept donations or food from survivors or volunteer organizations. Donations of food, water, and other items are handled by volunteer organizations that specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning, and distributing donated items.” It is stated on the site. “FEMA does not use armed security personnel to conduct vehicle stops or traffic closures; those actions are performed by local law enforcement.”
Jacobs, Separate post on X said states should operate like Florida and be less dependent on the federal government.
“I understand the frustration with FEMA and the waste of money and resources,” he wrote. “At the same time, conservatives shouldn't expect the federal government to fix anything.”
His comments echoed similar sentiments from Republican Sen. Kevin Corbyn of North Carolina, who also called on people to tone down their rhetoric. calling it that “Conspiracy theory junk.”
