FEMA is not blocking aid or confiscating donations meant for Hurricane Helene survivors

Hurricane Helene came ashore as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26 and plowed through several states in the Southeast, flooding towns and killing more than 230 people.

With recovery efforts underway, many social media posts shared on X and Facebook claim the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is blocking aid and confiscating donations meant for hurricane survivors.

“This is despicable! For days @fema and our government didn’t do a damn thing now they are confiscating supplies, grounding planes and cutting off relief,” said an X post with over 119,000 views.

Multiple VERIFY readers, including Art, Chris and Donna, messaged us asking if these claims are true.

THE QUESTION

Is FEMA blocking aid or confiscating donations meant for Hurricane Helene survivors?

THE SOURCES

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 
• North Carolina Department of Public Safety 
• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
• North Carolina Sen. Kevin Corbin
• Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee
• Knox County, Tennessee Mayor Glenn Jacobs
• American Red Cross
• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

THE ANSWER

No, FEMA is not blocking aid or confiscating donations meant for Hurricane Helene survivors.

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WHAT WE FOUND

State and local officials, the American Red Cross and FEMA all confirm the agency is not blocking aid or confiscating donations meant for Hurricane Helene survivors.

“There’s a lot of misinformation,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee told reporters on Oct. 2. “In fact, there’s some belief and understanding that it may be coming from foreign sources just to confuse on the ground what’s happening here. There’s no confiscation of supplies or products coming in from FEMA or TEMA.”

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety have also said that state and federal officials are not confiscating donations.

“TEMA/FEMA personnel are not confiscating supplies. Any report to the contrary is false,” TEMA said in an X post.

The American Red Cross addressed similar claims on its website.

“The Red Cross does not confiscate or discard donated items, and we have received no evidence to back these unsubstantiated claims. Our focus continues to be providing shelter, food and comfort for those affected by this massive disaster,” the American Red Cross said.

On its website, FEMA called any rumors suggesting it is turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, and confiscating and seizing supplies “false.”

“FEMA does not take donations and/or food from survivors or voluntary organizations. Donations of food, water, or other goods are handled by voluntary agencies who specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning, and distributing donated items,” the agency said.

There is also a growing narrative that FEMA and other federal agencies are blocking people from providing aid to areas affected by Helene.

FEMA says it is not turning away volunteers who want to help. However, the agency and the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) do not recommend volunteers self-deploying to disaster areas.

“Seeing images of disaster may compel you to head to the impacted area. Don’t underestimate the complexity of working in a disaster area. Until a need has been identified and the local community impacted has requested support, volunteers should not enter,” NVOAD says on its website.

Misinformation has been spreading rapidly over the past week in communities hit the hardest by Helene. That’s why North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and other state lawmakers have taken to social media to urge people to stop spreading rumors related to Helene online and in their communities.

“Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in WNC. Example: FEMA is stealing money from donations,” said North Carolina state Sen. Kevin Corbin. “PLEASE help stop this junk. It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job.”

“To my knowledge, FEMA, TEMA, nor anyone else is confiscating supplies. Please quit spreading those rumors as they are counterproductive to response efforts,” Glenn Jacobs, mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, said in an X post on Oct. 4.

For more information on how to help people affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and Tennessee, visit the North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s website or TEMA’s website. 

The Associated Press and VERIFY partner stations WCNC, WFMY and WBIR contributed to this report.