Arrest came after FEMA crews were forced to relocate due to threats over hurricane relief efforts

As the nearly 65,000 residents of hard-hit Rutherford County, North Carolina, struggle to clean up the endless mud and debris they left behind Hurricane HeleneHelp has encountered an obstacle.

Federal Emergency Management Agency crews in North Carolina were forced to relocate due to a reported armed threat against workers, as first reported by The Washington Post.

A U.S. Forest Service email to federal responders in Rutherford County alerted them to an apparent standoff after National Guard troops reportedly encountered armed militias who said they were “hunting FEMA.”

Out of an abundance of caution, FEMA said its disaster relief teams will be stationed at fixed locations rather than going door-to-door, which has been the agency’s common practice in the past.

One person has been arrested in connection with the threat, CBS News confirmed Monday.

“FEMA continues to support the communities affected by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. To ensure the safety of our dedicated employees and the disaster survivors we serve, FEMA has made some operational adjustments. Emergency recovery centers will continue to be open as planned, survivors. “Continue signing up for assistance and we will continue to help the people of North Carolina recover,” FEMA said in a statement to CBS News.

Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, on September 26 as a strong Category 4 storm. It crossed six states and left behind more than 225 people died, most of them in North Carolina.

The North Carolina National Guard told CBS News in a statement on Monday that there were “no reports of any encounters by our Soldiers or Airmen with armed militias, threats or combatants of any kind.” We continue to serve all districts that need our help.”

In a statement to CBS News, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said they received a call Saturday afternoon saying a man with an assault rifle made a comment about helping FEMA workers working on recovery operations working in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area, may have caused damage. Officials alerted Lake Lure police and other agencies to the threat.

The man suspected of making the threats was identified as William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina. He was arrested and charged with being armed to terrorize the public.

The sheriff’s office said Parsons was armed with a pistol and a rifle when he was arrested. He was released on $10,000 bail.

“The initial report said it was a truckload of militia members,” the sheriff’s office said. “However, upon further investigation, it was determined that Parsons acted alone and there were no truckloads of militia members heading to Lake Lure.”

Capt. Jamie Keever of the sheriff’s office told CBS News on Monday that local law enforcement remains on high alert, but her office is not aware of any additional, specific and credible threats.

False claims Among other things, what has surfaced online is that the federal government planned to halt search and rescue efforts to seize and raze Chimney Roc, and that victims received only $750 in aid. Many of the conspiracy theories have led FEMA to create a page on its website discrediting rumors and false information about its response to Hurricane Helene.

Former President Donald Trump has continued to spread the word Misinformationsuggesting that FEMA funds for hurricane victims were diverted and given to migrants. Although FEMA sometimes provides assistance to immigrants, the source of funding is other than disaster relief.

“We have individuals who need help, who are entitled to help, but who are not seeking it because of false information,” Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday.

Last week, President Biden spoke false claimsincluding one that said the government could control the weather, which was promoted by some Republican politicians.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congresswoman from Georgia, is now saying that the federal government literally controls the weather, we control the weather. This is beyond ridiculous. It’s so stupid, it has to stop.” Mr. Biden said in his remarks from the White House.

Over the weekend, Mr. Biden visited Florida for the second time in just over a week to survey damage from the storm Hurricane Milton devastated the Sunshine State’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. On Sunday, The president announced $600 million in aid for areas affected by Helene and Milton.