{"id":2351318,"date":"2024-10-06T12:34:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-06T16:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/helene-misinformation-demoralizing-creating-fear-fema-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-06T12:36:18","modified_gmt":"2024-10-06T16:36:18","slug":"helene-misinformation-demoralizing-creating-fear-fema-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/helene-misinformation-demoralizing-creating-fear-fema-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Helene misinformation &#8216;demoralizing,&#8217; creating &#8216;fear&#8217;: FEMA &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhelene-misinformation-demoralizing-creating-fear-fema-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2351318&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>FEMA \u2062Administrator Deanne Criswell addressed \u200cmisinformation surrounding the agency&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amazon-launches-first-prescription-drone-delivery-service-in-texas-city\/\" title=\"Amazon introduces prescription drone delivery service in Texas City.\">disaster relief \u2064efforts<\/a> following Hurricane Helene, stating that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-say-bidens-female-led-comms-is-a-first-trump-has-that-now\/\" title=\"Media Say Biden&#039;s Female-Led Comms Is A First. Trump Has That Now\">false claims<\/a> suggesting funds were not \u200breaching conservative areas\u200c are &#8220;ridiculous and \u2063just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/whydunit\/\" title=\"Whydunit\">plain false<\/a>.&#8221; On a recent ABC appearance, she emphasized the need\u2064 to prioritize helping people over political rhetoric. The Department of Homeland Security has \u2063provided resources to communities facing an inflow of migrants, especially during winter. <\/p>\n<p>Criswell also criticized the\u2063 impact of social \u200bmedia misinformation on emergency responses, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-80-of-democrat-voters-afraid-of-omicron-only-35-of-republicans-are-concerned\/\" title=\"Poll: 80% of Democrat voters afraid of Omicron, only 35% of Republicans are concerned\">caused unnecessary panic<\/a> among residents already affected by the hurricane. Former \u2062President Donald Trump perpetuated false narratives about federal aid, misrepresenting FEMA\u2019s assistance, which has totaled over \u200b$110 million for survivors.\u200d Criswell condemned such rhetoric as fear-inducing and harmful, highlighting the \u2062urgent need for people to access aid. While some Republican officials \u200chave praised emergency responders&#8217; efforts, the narrative that aid is not\u2062 flowing to Republican areas has been refuted by both state and federal officials.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hurricane Helene misinformation is &lsquo;demoralizing,&rsquo; creating &lsquo;fear&rsquo; among responders: FEMA<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1776756\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/FEMA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>FEMA<\/a> Administrator Deanne Criswell criticized claims and conspiracies that money for the federal emergency agency was not reaching conservative areas hammered by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/reporters-notebook\/3177162\/reporter-notebook-federal-government-response-hurricane-helene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Hurricane Helene\">Hurricane Helene<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s frankly ridiculous and just plain false,&rdquo; Criswell said on ABC&rsquo;s <em>This Week<\/em>, about claims that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>money<\/a> for disaster relief was being funneled to migrants. &ldquo;This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people. It&rsquo;s really a shame that we&rsquo;re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re here to do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security helps provide food, housing, and transportation to illegal immigrants through FEMA&rsquo;s Emergency Food and Shelter Program and Shelter and Services Program Awards program. In response to requests from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/denver-mayor-johnston-let-migrants-work-biden-administration-rcna128297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democratic mayors<\/a>, whose cities were experiencing an influx of migrants this past winter, the Biden administration spent over $1 million to give local communities the resources they needed.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials have also been critical of the misinformation on social media sites that are hampering the ability of emergency responders, such as false claims that another storm is headed to Asheville and a dam was about to burst in western <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/North-Carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>North Carolina<\/a>. These claims sent residents into another round of worry after their homes were already ravaged by Helene, and many called the reports to the emergency responders, who were already struggling to meet the needs of Helene&rsquo;s victims.<\/p>\n<p>Former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Donald-Trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> has also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-full-timeline-of-the-fiery-candace-owens-cardi-b-feud\/\" title=\"The Full Timeline Of The Fiery Candace Owens\/Cardi B Feud\u00a0\">repeated false claims<\/a> that the federal government isn&rsquo;t doing anything to help those affected by the storm. He seized on Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Kamala-Harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a>&lsquo;s announcement that victims would be receiving a $750 grant, falsely claiming this is the only money FEMA would be sending out to victims. In reality, the agency has directed over $110 million to survivors, and the $750 grant is intended to be used for essentials such as food, water, and baby formula.<\/p>\n<p>Criswell went on to call Trump&rsquo;s rhetoric a &ldquo;truly dangerous narrative that is creating this fear of trying to reach out and help us or to register for help.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;People need resources, and we need them to get into the system,&rdquo; Criswell said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just a shame that people are sitting home on their comfortable couches while we have thousands of people here on the ground that have left their own families to be able to help those in need.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>State and federal officials have rebutted the notion that aid is not flowing to hard-hit areas with large Republican populations or GOP elected officials. Many of the Republican officials have praised the efforts of the emergency responders. <\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Thom-Tillis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Thom Tillis<\/a> (R-NC) said, &ldquo;They&rsquo;re doing a great job. They can always work harder, there&rsquo;s always kinks in the slinky, we&rsquo;re working them out behind the scenes, but I think we&rsquo;re all here to send a message that we&rsquo;re working together, and I&rsquo;m pretty proud of the effort that&rsquo;s been done.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A Republican state senator from North Carolina also pleaded for people to stop spreading misinformation. &ldquo;Friends can I ask a small favor?&rdquo; state Sen. Kevin Corbin wrote in a Facebook post. &ldquo;Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in WNC?&rsquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Criswell said FEMA has the necessary resources to continue recovery efforts, as members of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Congress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Congress<\/a> from both parties press for lawmakers to return from recess before next month&rsquo;s elections to pass emergency aid.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We moved resources in before this storm happened. We embedded our staff in the state to work side by side so we could quickly employ those resources to where they were needed,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And as we continue to see how long we&rsquo;re going to have to provide this level of sustained support, we will continue to do that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1776756\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1776756\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FEMA&#8217;s Criswell calls Hurricane Helene misinformation &#8216;demoralizing&#8217; and fear-inducing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3108,"featured_media":2351319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/fema-administrator-Deanne-Criswell.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[7380,5466,18818,41852,32076],"class_list":["post-2351318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-misinformation","tag-fear","tag-fema","tag-helene","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/fema-administrator-Deanne-Criswell.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2351318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2351318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2351318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2351319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2351318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2351318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2351318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}