FEMA accused of not staffing orders, ‘seizing’ aid, stopping Starlink deliveries to Hurricane Helen victims

Washington – angry Critics of the Federal Emergency Management Agency The allegations were aired on Friday Hurricane Helen relief workers sitting idle without orders – And those doing the work are “seizing” aid distribution and the slow-moving Starlink satellite internet equipment.

The allegations were underlined by Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink operator SpaceX, and Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), citing ground-based whistleblowers as the death toll topped 215 in six states, making the storm the most Became fatal. In the US after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Just received this note from a SpaceX engineer helping on the ground in North Carolina. @FEMA is not only failing to adequately assist those in distress, but actively blocking citizens from trying to help!” musk written on x,

The note read: “Hey Elon, update here on the Asheville, NC site. We have prepared two large operating bases for helicopters to hand-deliver supplies. We have deployed over 300 Starlinks and the result is that it has saved many lives. The bigger issue is that FEMA is actively intercepting shipments and seizing goods and services locally and disposing of them to make it appear that they are their own.

“It’s very real and scary how much control they have taken to stop people from getting help. We have been put on hold on shipments of new Starlinks (sic) arriving until we can receive escort from the fire department. (sic) But this may not be enough.”

Meanwhile, Gaetz wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that “My office has been in contact with whistleblowers in multiple emergency-management actions at the federal, state, and local levels, and they all point to the same serious mismanagement issues.”

“FEMA has wasted taxpayer money, misused funds, and left other federal, state and local responders without orders to deploy on the ground.” Getz wrote,

“As reported and confirmed by my office, hundreds, if not thousands, of service members were deployed to North Carolina by the Department of Defense and are sitting idle waiting for FEMA. “We have confirmed that FEMA personnel are deployed to hotels around the clock awaiting orders.”

The Florida congressman further alleged that “FEMA’s pre-disaster assistance was withheld, thereby exacerbating the emergency. It is also public that NGOs have purchased airline tickets for migrants through the use of FEMA funds.

He said, “The result of Hurricane Helene is a major disaster, and your waste and unpreparedness have left Americans in crisis – unable to access food, water or medicine – and expecting help, but No one is coming.”

Gaetz demanded records showing “how much of the money in the Disaster Relief Fund has been spent on non-disaster-relief programs, such as providing services to illegal aliens or providing routine training to FEMA employees authorized by general appropriations.” “

FEMA and DHS did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.

Whistleblower allegations are not always completely accurate and are sometimes the result of partial information being provided.

Both Musk and Gaetz support former President Donald Trump’s candidacy in the November 5 election.

Trump, who shared Musk’s post on his Truth social platform, has faulted the response to the crisis by President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their subordinates.

allegations continue Republican outrage Mayorkas said Wednesday that “FEMA does not have the funds to deal with the (hurricane) season and the impending situation” — despite the agency providing FEMA-administered funds to help state and local governments respond to flooding this year. has allocated $640.9 million. Asylum seekers have been largely paroled into the US under Mayorkas, many of them after crossing the US-Mexico border illegally.

The DHS chief rejected the criticism on Thursday, with a spokesman saying the funds were earmarked by Congress for the migrant crisis.

It is unclear whether any of those funds could have been administratively redirected to hurricane relief, and it is not clear from Gaetz’s letter whether the whistleblower actually alleged that disaster relief funds were used to divert migrants. Was done for.