No, a FEMA helicopter didn’t deliberately blow away hurricane relief supplies in North Carolina

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been the target of online misinformation since Hurricane Helene made landfall Sept. 26, devastating much of the Southeast United States. 

The latest falsehood? A claim that FEMA helicopters deliberately blocked emergency aid in North Carolina.

"That was reportedly a black FEMA helicopter intentionally hovering low over a volunteer collection site in western North Carolina and disrupting the work being done there," conservative commentator Ben Swann said in an Oct. 9 Instagram video. "Individuals on the ground claim it was in retaliation for not allowing FEMA to confiscate their supplies."

The video showed footage of an unmarked helicopter blowing away emergency supplies and included the caption, "FEMA helicopters caught disrupting North Carolina supplies by using a ‘rotor wash.’"

The same video circulated Oct. 7 on X with the caption, "FEMA helicopter intentionally flew low over a volunteer supply drop zone because the volunteers REFUSED to let FEMA confiscate their supplies."

The Instagram post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.  (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

 (Screenshot from Instagram.)

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Facebook posts

stated on October 2, 2024 in a video on Facebook

The Federal Emergency Management Agency “is confiscating supplies and donations!”

The video is authentic, but it doesn’t depict a FEMA helicopter.

"The aircraft in the video is not a FEMA aircraft, FEMA does not have or operate any helicopters," the agency said in a statement to PolitiFact.

The aircraft in the video is a North Carolina National Guard helicopter, Major General Todd Hunt, North Carolina National Guard’s adjutant general, said in an Oct. 9 press conference.

"That was a North Carolina National Guard helicopter that is under our command, and I'll take responsibility for it and we own it," Hunt said. 

Hunt explained that the National Guard helicopter was hovering low over a distribution site in western North Carolina while transporting a generator. However, when the crew noticed the area was too crowded for landing, they ascended. The helicopter’s rotor wash, or the rush of air created by its rotating blades, damaged the supplies.

We found no evidence that FEMA or the North Carolina National Guard deliberately sought to damage the volunteer supply site, or that FEMA confiscated supplies.

We have seen other claims about FEMA stealing disaster supplies, but FEMA Press Secretary Daniel Llargués told PolitiFact that these claims are false.

FEMA also addressed the falsehood on its "Rumor Response" webpage. 

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

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s "Hurricane Helene: Fact vs. Rumor" webpage similarly said that "donations are not being confiscated by state and federal officials," and government leaders in North Carolina said claims of FEMA stealing supplies are baseless.

We rate the claim that a FEMA helicopter intentionally blew away disaster supplies in North Carolina False.