The Federal Emergency Management Agency temporarily halted some aid operations over the weekend in parts of western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene because of threats targeting government workers, local officials said.
The threats caused FEMA employees to temporarily stop accepting in-person applications for federal assistance in some of North Carolina's mountain communities, according to a statement posted Sunday on social media by the Ashe County Emergency Management Department, which said FEMA employees would not be staffed in the towns of Lansing or Riverview.
"It is our understanding that all FEMA reps in NC were stood down due to threats occurring in some counties (not Ashe) but we have not received any official correspondence on this issue from FEMA," the post said. Later Sunday, the Ashe County Emergency Management Department said FEMA would begin accepting in-person applications for assistance on Monday.