Outraged critics of the Federal Emergency Management Agency aired allegations Friday that Hurricane Helene relief workers are sitting idle without orders — and that those who are working are “seizing” aid deliveries and slow-walking distribution of Starlink satellite internet equipment.
The allegations were outlined by Elon Musk, the CEO of Starlink operator SpaceX, and by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), citing on-the-ground whistleblowers as the death toll topped 215 across six states, making the storm the deadliest in America since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“Just received this note from a SpaceX engineer helping on the ground in North Carolina. @FEMA is not merely failing to adequately help people in trouble, but is actively blocking citizens who try to help!” Musk wrote on X.
The note read: “Hey Elon, update here on site of Asheville, NC. We have powered up two large operating bases for choppers to deliver goods into hands. We’ve deployed 300+ starlinks [sic] and outpour is it has saved many lives. The big issue is FEMA is actively blocking shipments and seizing goods and services locally and locking them away to state they are their own.
“It’s very real and scary how much they have taken control to stop people helping. We are blocked now on the shipments of new starlinks [sic] coming in until we get an escort from the fire dept. [sic] but that may not be enough.”
Musk also posted a text message he claimed to have received telling him that federal officials were “about to shut down the Air space [sic] to ‘regulate’ the private choppers we are riding in to deliver Starlink and supplies.
“[We] handed out starlinks [sic] with her yesterday but FEMA then showed up and started blocking up,” the unidentified sender wrote. “The largest concern for us here is the FAA throttling flights for our choppers where they are requiring To/from information and mission now to deliver a discrete code.”
Hellbound and Down 