The evidence is ancedotal, but overwhelming. North Carolina was pummeled by Hurricane Helene, which has now claimed the lives of over 200 people since making landfall. And the feds are… not being helpful.

Of all the things that we pay taxes for, government assistance after a disaster of this scale is one of the most obvious. Which makes it positively sickening that government entities are reportedly blocking average people from helping. Yes, there has to be coordination and not chaos in the rescue process. But people are waiting for rescue, and the government is NOT showing up for them. One story that has come to illustrate the entire problem is the testimony of Jordan Seidhom, who was trying to rescue people via his own personal helicopter in North Carolina. But this is not just a random guy. According to The Hill, he is the former head of the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit, and a volunteer firefighter.

His son, a high school junior, went along. Both are volunteer members of the Sandhills Volunteer Fire Department in Pageland, South Carolina. Seidhom is a Class 1 certified law enforcement officer and a pilot with nearly 1,400 flight hours.

He first contacted the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport’s Air Traffic Control tower to get clearance to fly over the airport. Seidhom said he got the clearance and was allowed to fly over the airport, which is a direct shot to the gap in the mountains he needed to get through to Lake Lure.

Once in the Lake Lure area on Saturday, Seidhom landed at the nearest airport and met with multiple law enforcement officers and first responders to coordinate communication channels with them and to find out what was needed and where he should go to help.

After rescuing people on Saturday, the Seidhoms went out again to help. It was after returning with a victim – and leaving his son behind in order to evacuate her – on Sunday that the problems began. Seidhom was coordinating with people on the ground when the local fire chief decided to shut everything down, and threatened to have him arrested if he went back.

Seidhom later positively identified the Lake Lure fire official via the town’s website, but WJZY has decided not to name the official at this time. The station called, texted, and emailed the town, including the fire department leadership and the mayor, to get a message to the fire official.

The town of Lake Lure’s official government Facebook page confirmed late Monday night that the fire official Seidhom identified as the person who threatened him with arrest had received the station’s request for comment and that the town’s email was down.

As of this posting, no one from the town has responded, including the mayor who was included in the requests for interviews. The back-and-forth between Seidhom and the fire official continued right in front of the woman Seidhom had just plucked off the mountain, he said.

Seidhom said he asked the official for a specific reason he was ordering him to stop his rescue efforts. “You’re interfering with my operation,” is the reason Seidhom said the fire official gave.

“I’m going back and getting my copilot. He said, ‘If you turn around and go back up the mountain, you’re going to be arrested.’ I said, ‘Well, sir, I’m going back to get my copilot, I don’t know what to tell you.’”

Seidhom said the official called over two law enforcement officers and again threatened him with arrest if he flew back up the mountain.

He did go back for his son, but had to leave the husband of the victim behind. A temporary flight restriction was instituted a half an hour later, but lifted the next day, and Seidhom rejoined the efforts, though upset about the people that he had had to leave behind the day before. This whole story sounds like a local official got a stick up his butt about being “in charge,” and while the local government is obviously busy enough right now to not respond to media inquiries, that won’t always be the case. And this anecdote sounds an awful lot like FEMA’s usual M.O. – “we’re in charge, and if we’re not doing anything, then too bad for you.” This was something that was seen in Maui, where FEMA workers were reportedly blocking supplies while also staying in luxury hotels, while fire victims were living in tents. Now, FEMA is allegedly letting supplies sit on tarmacs.

FEMA FAILURE IN THE SOUTHEAST

I was just alerted by friends in Greenville, SC that there is a massive failure by FEMA to deploy assets to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene and they are feeling beyond frustrated and angry.

FEMA has 12 MEDVAC EC135 helicopters just… pic.twitter.com/rkW0ysisLd

— Kylie Jane Kremer (@KylieJaneKremer) October 3, 2024

The entire post reads:

FEMA FAILURE IN THE SOUTHEAST

I was just alerted by friends in Greenville, SC that there is a massive failure by FEMA to deploy assets to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene and they are feeling beyond frustrated and angry.

FEMA has 12 MEDVAC EC135 helicopters just sitting there in Greenville.

FEMA has 3 C130 cargo planes just sitting there in Greenville.

FEMA also has fuel tankers, ambulances and other equipment ready to deploy, sitting in Greenville, as seen in the videos attached.

These planes, helicopters & other equipment have been sitting since Sunday and have not doing anything for Americans in need. Our tax dollars not being utilized even though they are appropriated for specific situations of emergency just like this.

What the hell is going on? What exactly is FEMA doing besides promising a measly $750 to those affected by Helene??

$941 million FEMA dollars have been given to illegals and now DHS Secretary Mayorkas is asking for more money for FEMA because there isn’t enough to help Americans?!

What about these resources just sitting in Greenville? Why aren’t they being deployed??

People are dying and in desperate need of help. Fellow Americans aren’t even allowed to help because of red tape & money we’ve already paid in taxes isn’t going to help them either.

The Biden-Harris Administration is MASSIVELY FAILING and it is clear American citizens are NOT a priority.

The message that “FEMA is failing” is becoming so widespread that the agency has posted on X that they are ready and willing to help.

If you were affected by Helene, we urge you to apply for assistance as soon as possible.

We understand that everyone's journey to recovery is different, so we are here to help with your unique situation.

To apply, call 1-800-621-3362 or visit https://t.co/gryh5A6N9X.#Helene pic.twitter.com/Ik8CrbEKL1

— FEMA (@fema) October 2, 2024

Um, how are people who are in desperate need of help, and have no cell service or power, supposed to call FEMA or log on to the website to apply for assistance? FEMA is also realizing that they have an image problem, and posted a “Rumor Response” list of frequently asked questions to their website, which contains gems like this:

Rumor: Funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.
Fact:
This is false. No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.

However, it is a fact that Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas opened his mouth and said FEMA was going to run short of money. It’s also a fact that FEMA has indeed been spending hundreds of millions on supporting illegal migrants – something that Donald Trump has rightly pointed out. Just because that money was in a separate fund doesn’t make the optics of what is happening any better for the agency. And the people on the ground who can reach out for help are getting loud about the lack of that help.

NC hurricane victim: "It's too late. They took too long. It took them 5 days to get here… It's disgraceful. They keep saying 'We the People.' Nah, there is no 'We the People' — it's them vs. us." pic.twitter.com/BXJgubHhGd

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 4, 2024

As Toni covered, Representative Cory Mills of Florida is deeply involved in the rescue efforts, and is calling out FEMA.

And despite FEMA’s claims in their “Rumor Response” post, there are indeed reports that FEMA is confiscating supplies.

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!

“Hey Elon, update here on site of Asheville, NC. We have powered up two…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2024

The full post reads:

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!

“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 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 coming in until we get an escort from the fire dept. but that may not be enough.”

While all of this is going on, Joe Biden, whose brain is pudding, says that everyone is getting what they need and they are “happy” about it. Hey everyone? I don’t think Joe Biden has the cognitive capacity to realize what he is saying. I’m also sure he’s being told that FEMA is doing all the things, and then the bureaucracy is filled with people who are on petty power trips and start blocking the help, because in their minds, all help should come with a government seal on it.

The government, especially FEMA, is coming off as uncaring, unhelpful, and wasteful. The news that a whistleblower has come forward, via Representative Matt Gaetz, to detail FEMA’s squandering of funds is not going to help matters.

BREAKING: Whistleblowers have now come forward saying that FEMA misappropriated funds. pic.twitter.com/XkAKXHWOSN

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 4, 2024

The bottom line is, there are Americans in crisis after Hurricane Helene, especially in North Carolina. Average Americans are trying to help. The government, and FEMA, increasingly look like they don’t care at all about helping those in dire need, and the spending of millions and millions on supporting illegal migrants on the taxpayer dime via FEMA is definitely going to come back to bite the Biden-Harris administration.

Featured image: aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina by Bill McMannis via Wikimedia Commons, cropped, CC BY 2.0