A conservative North Carolina Republican is pushing back on conspiracy theories that have flooded social media in the wake of Hurricane Helene, telling constituents that such “outlandish rumors” are harming recovery efforts on the ground.
Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican who represents North Carolina’s 11th district, emailed a letter to constituents Tuesday rebuffing eight specific theories, including ones claiming Hurricane Helene was geoengineered and another alleging FEMA is seizing land.
“These conspiracy theories, while certainly frustrating, have done more harm than most people may realize,” Edwards wrote. “The spreading of falsehoods has diverted state, local, and federal resources from helping NC-11 recover toward refuting hearsay and repeatedly trying to set the record straight.”
Rain from Helene sparked catastrophic flooding in the mountainous towns of western North Carolina, cutting off many communities from the rest of the state due to washed-out roads and widespread power outages. Reps. Virginia Foxx and Patrick McHenry, both of North Carolina, applauded Edwards’ letter with appreciative comments on social media. Edwards is one of the most conservative representatives in Congress, having scored 94 out of 100 on Family Research Council Action’s scorecard for the current Congress.
“We have … seen an uptick in untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos by sharing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and hearsay about hurricane response efforts across our mountains,” Edwards wrote. “While it is true, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to Hurricane Helene has had its shortfalls, I’m here to dispel the outrageous rumors that have been circulated online.”
Edwards’ letter rebuffed eight specific conspiracy theories:
-- Hurricane Helene was “not geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock,” he wrote. “Nobody can control the weather. Charles Konrad, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Regional Climate Center, has confirmed that no one has the technology or ability to geoengineer a hurricane. Current geoengineering technology can serve as a large-scale intervention to mitigate the negative consequences of naturally occurring weather phenomena, but it cannot be used to create or manipulate hurricanes.”
-- Local officials “are not abandoning search and rescue efforts to bulldoze over Chimney Rock,” he wrote. “There was no ‘special meeting’ held in Chimney Rock between federal, state or local governments about seizing the town,” he wrote. “... Rutherford County, emergency services personnel are going to extensive lengths to search for missing people, including in debris by using cadaver dogs to locate any remains of individuals trapped in the debris.”
-- FEMA “is not stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating or seizing supplies, or otherwise turning away donations,” Edwards wrote. “FEMA does not conduct vehicle stops or handle road closures with armed guards -- all road closures are managed by local law enforcement who are prioritizing getting resources to their fellow community members.”
-- FEMA “has not diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid,” he wrote. “Disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. FEMA’s non-disaster-related presence at the border has always been of major concern to me, even before Hurricane Helene, and I will continue to condemn their deployment of personnel to the southern border, but we must separate the two issues.”
-- FEMA “is not going to run out of money,” Edwards wrote. “FEMA officials have repeatedly affirmed that the agency has enough money for immediate response and recovery needs over the next few months. Secretary Mayorkas’ statement indicating otherwise was an irresponsible attempt to politicize a tragedy for personal gain. In the coming months, Western North Carolina is going to need more disaster relief funding than is currently available to assist with recovery efforts. I’m confident that supplemental disaster relief funding, which I am already involved in the process of creating, will be considered in the House once we return to session in mid-November.”
-- FEMA “cannot seize your property or land,” he wrote. “Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.”
-- The FAA “is not restricting access to airspace for Helene rescue and recovery operations,” he wrote. “Nobody seeking to fly resources into Western North Carolina will be prohibited from doing so by the FAA or North Carolina Emergency Management so long as they coordinate their efforts with NC Aviation.”
-- FEMA “is not only providing $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery,” he wrote. “The initial $750 provided to disaster survivors is an immediate type of assistance called Serious Needs Assistance that may be made to individuals in need as soon as they apply for FEMA assistance. The $750 is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, and medication while FEMA assesses the applicant’s eligibility for additional funds. This award is just the first step of a longer process to provide financial assistance to disaster survivors in need of federal support. As an application moves through the review process, individuals are eligible to receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as temporary housing, personal property, and home repair costs, etc.”
Edwards urged his constituents to avoid getting their news from social media.
“I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact,” he wrote. “Please make sure you are fact-checking what you read online with a reputable source.”
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Congressman Chuck Edwards
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.