The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) twice denied to The Tennessee Star that it is confiscating hurricane relief supplies in Tennessee, North Carolina, or any area recovering from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.
The denials come despite Elon Musk, the owner of Space X, reporting that one of his company’s engineers said supplies were confiscated by the federal agency in Asheville, North Carolina, where the world’s richest man is supplying volunteers with Starlink devices to restore Internet connectivity to the rural communities.
In a post to the social media platform X on Friday, Musk wrote that his engineer told him via text message, “FEMA is actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally and locking them away to state they are their own.”
The engineer told his boss, according to Musk, “We are blocked now on the shipments of new starlinks coming in until we get an escort from the fire dept. but that may not be enough.”
Just received this note from a SpaceX engineer helping on the ground in North Carolina. @FEMA is not merely failing to adequately help people in trouble, but is actively blocking citizens who try to help!
“Hey Elon, update here on site of Asheville, NC. We have powered up two…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2024
Later on Friday afternoon, Musk shared a second message that appears to be from the same SpaceX engineer. The message indicated he met with Ivanka Trump, the former president’s eldest daughter, who was similarly spurned by FEMA.
“We need help to get word out about FEMA, we spoke with Ivanka and handed out starlinks with her yesterday but FEMA then showed up and started blocking us,” the engineer wrote.
Ivanka Trump flew to North Carolina earlier this week, where she reported assisting with distributing food and 300 Starlink devices in the town of Hickory.
Just received this text 20 mins ago.
The level of belligerent government incompetence is staggering!! pic.twitter.com/wWbBR7FfUo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2024
Reached by The Star on Thursday, a FEMA spokesman denied claims it was confiscating supplies.
When The Star contacted FEMA on Friday to ask specifically about the claims advanced by the SpaceX engineer and Musk, the agency offered a similar response from Public Affairs Director Jaclyn Rothenberg.
“The claims about FEMA confiscating or taking commodities, supplies or resources in North Carolina, Tennessee, or any state impacted by Helene are false,” Rothenberg told The Star. “FEMA is continuing to work with our federal family and state and local partners in the impacted areas to effectively bring in life-saving resources to the people and communities who need it most.”
When asked specifically whether FEMA had Starlink devices in its possession in North Carolina, Rothenberg acknowledged they had been used in the disaster zones.
“FEMA has helped provide Starlink terminals to the state of North Carolina, including to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and critical lifeline locations as determined by the state,” Rothenberg stated to The Star.
She explained, “These units are supporting state and local municipalities, Urban Search and Rescue and disaster coordination. Starlink units have been sent to multiple states in support of Hurricane Helene response efforts.”
Neither Rothenberg nor a FEMA representative responded when The Star asked whether citizens of North Carolina or the SpaceX engineer may have been victims of criminals impersonating FEMA officials, as public officials say occurred in East Tennessee after Hurricane Helene.
The Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency (UCEMA), located about an hour north of Asheville, North Carolina, shared on social media that it received “reports that FEMA/TEMA representatives are going door-to-door asking for donations and personal information” and confirmed such men are “imposters.”
In a statement to The Star, the agency explained, “Through our social media monitoring, we found that there had been people going door-to-door in Carter County (Elizabethton) asking people for supply donations and their social security numbers, complete with fake uniforms and identification.”
The reports stopped after the county agency made its public warning, the spokesman told The Star.
“There certainly have been representatives from FEMA and TEMA in the area, and we have support teams and the Disaster Mental Health Strike Team going door-to-door checking on residents and their needs, but we are only trying to identify needs and give, never to take,” said the spokesman. “If someone asks or offers for these teams to take something to others in need, we will happily do so, but we are focused on bringing relief, not taking it.”
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office, located about two hours away from Asheville in Tennessee, similarly told Citizen Tribune it was aware of reports of imposters claiming to represent FEMA on Tuesday.
“Be aware FEMA will not take supplies,” said the sheriff’s office, according to the outlet. “Contact dispatch if someone shows up acting as FEMA.”
The Star did not receive an immediate response from Cocke County Sheriff C.J. Ball about the reports.
Most claims suggest that confiscation is happening in North Carolina, but multiple reports also insist that neither FEMA nor the state-level Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has confiscated supplies in Tennessee.
TEMA dismissed the rumors in a post to social media, stating, “TEMA/FEMA personnel are not confiscating supplies. Any report to the contrary is false.”
— Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) (@TennesseeEMA) October 2, 2024
Robby Starbuck, who has been working with a private team to purchase and install Starlink units to restore internet connectivity to East Tennessee communities and distribute essential supplies, also said the rumors are unfounded.
“I’ve confirmed this at multiple levels of government in TN including TEMA and this was confirmed by my private team on the ground. NOTHING is being confiscated,” wrote Starbuck in a post to the social media platform X. “NOTHING is being confiscated.”
ATTENTION: If you’ve seen the viral below post, it is NOT true. I’ve confirmed this at multiple levels of government in TN including TEMA and this was confirmed by my private team on the ground. NOTHING is being confiscated.
This post is not even on this lady’s FB page. Support… pic.twitter.com/t5GPGTnI4P
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 3, 2024
Prior to Starbuck’s declaration, the reports reached Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), who asked constituents to share credible reports of supplies being confiscated with his office.
“FEMA tells me this is not true,” wrote Burchett in response to one request for support. “Can you call my office with details.”
Burchett told The Star on Thursday that he nonetheless lacks confidence in the FEMA response to Hurricane Helene.
“I’m not confident in them at all,” said Burchett. He added, “Every agency has shown the American people they’re not worthy of holding or spending their tax dollars and FEMA is no different.”
Burchett’s comment came before Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) produced a report containing allegations by FEMA whistleblowers. The whistleblowers accused the agency of misappropriating funds, withholding aid before Hurricane Helene struck, and leaving first responders in hotel rooms without orders.
In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees FEMA, Gaetz said “whistleblowers in numerous emergency-management functions at the federal, state, and local levels” of government “all point to the same critical mismanagement issues” at FEMA.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “FEMA Employee” by FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Our government is so corrupt that they don’t even know what’s taking place on the ground in the areas devastated by the flooding. And the fact that they spent billions of dollars on the ILLEGAL ALIENS and are now claiming that they have no more money for disaster relief is beyond inexcusable!