FEMA worker harassed in Florida after Hurricane Milton

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports one incident of verbal harassment of a FEMA employee in Florida since Hurricane Milton.

The incident occurred in Hillsborough County on October 14, when a FEMA worker attempted to help register storm survivors.

“A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team followed safety protocol and safely exited the area where they were working,” the agency said in a statement. “FEMA continues to support Florida communities affected by Helene and Milton and help survivors apply for assistance.”

The incident in Florida comes days after a Tennessee sheriff said witnesses saw an armed group harassing FEMA workers in that state.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said misinformation on social media about the federal organization is causing some people to harass and threaten FEMA workers in the field.

Watch Criswell’s full press conference here:

“We work with local law enforcement to provide our employees with the safest and harassment-free environment. And so it’s not just about potential threats, but also about intimidation,” Criswell said.

While these incidents are disturbing, Criswell doesn’t think the data necessarily shows they are part of a broader trend.

“I don’t know if I have any data that says it has increased, but I know we have been much more focused on it just because of the amount of misinformation that was out there,” Criswell said.

Since Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida in early October, the Biden-Harris administration has approved more than $1.8 billion in federal funding for FEMA-led recovery efforts.

Watch this video to learn how to apply for assistance from FEMA:

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