In Depth with Dan: Helene response and misinformation
FAMILIES LIKE MINE AND YOURS.
>> LET'S GO IN-DEPTH TO TALK
ABOUT THE THING THAT
EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT, WHAT
TO BELIEVE AND WHAT NOT TO
BELIEVE IN WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA AND THAT BUZZWORD.
WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE.
AND MISINFORMATION. MASSIVE
MISINFORMATION PROBLEM WITH
MISINFORMATION OUT THERE.
THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'VE
BEEN SEEING THIS LEVEL OF
MISINFORMATION, YOU CAN'T STOP
MISINFORMATION. I JUST TALKED
ABOUT MISINFORMATION,
DISINFORMATION.
>> I GOT A LOT OF E-MAILS ABOUT
THIS SORT OF STUFF. I READ ONE
I GOT FROM ANGELA. SHE WROTE,
I HAVE HEARD THAT FEMA HAD
TURNED TRUCKS WITH SUPPLIES
AWAY WITH THE THREAT OF ARREST
IF THEY PERCEIVE. HOPEFULLY
THIS IS NOT TRUE, BUT IS IT
ANGELA HEARD THAT STORY ONLINE
AND THERE'S A LOT JUST LIKE IT.
SOMETIMES THEY COME FROM
SOMEONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE A
WITNESS OTHER TIMES. IT'S A
GAME OF ONLINE TELEPHONE.
EITHER WAY FEMA HATES IT, SAYS
THEIR LIES AND THEY'RE PRETTY
WORKED UP ABOUT IT.
>> IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A SHAME
THAT PEOPLE ARE SITTING HOME
ON THEIR COMFORTABLE COUCHES.
WELL, WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE HERE ON THE GROUND THAT
HAVE LEFT THEIR OWN FAMILIES TO
BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE IN NEED.
>> FEEBLE POSTED A FACT CHECK
SECTION TO ITS WEBSITE. YOU
KNOW, THE VERY LAST PLACE THAT
ANYONE WHO DOESN'T TRUST FEMA
WOULD GO TO LOOK FOR THE TRUTH.
DOESN'T THAT SEEM A LITTLE OUT
OF TOUCH TO ALEX? THINK SO.
HE SAID WHO? WHO IS THE SOURCE?
FOR FACT, CHECKING FEMA?
WELL, YEAH. WHY DO YOU HAVE A
PROBLEM WITH THAT? WHY DON'T
YOU JUST TRUST THEM?
IS IT BECAUSE FEMA HAS SCREWED
UP COUNTLESS TIMES IN FAMOUS
WAYS DURING SOME OF THE BIGGEST
DISASTERS IN HISTORY WITH TONS
AND TONS OF EXAMPLES LIKE
HURRICANE KATRINA IN 2005 FOR
THE WHITE HOUSE ADMITTED
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LACKED
THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH
EACH OTHER AND COORDINATE A
RESPONSE. FEMA TURNED AWAY
DOCTORS AND BLOCKED THE
DELIVERY OF SUPPLIES IN 2018,
FEMA ACKNOWLEDGES FAILURES
DURING THE RESPONSE TO
HURRICANE MARIA IN PUERTO RICO.
LACKING STAFF AND STRUGGLING
TO DELIVER SUPPLIES IN 2022
FEMA AID WAS DELAYED NEARLY
5 MONTHS FOR PEOPLE HIT BY
HURRICANE IAN AND NORTH
CAROLINA. AND NOW WE'RE GETTING
STORY AFTER STORY LIKE THIS
FROM THE GROUND FROM PEOPLE IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
>> I'M TELLING YOU, WE NEED
YOU. WE WANT YOU HERE TO HELP
WITH WHAT FAMOUS AS THE HAIL
WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.
IS THERE NOT HERE.
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF VIDEOS
LIKE THAT AND WE'RE WATCHING
THEM WITH FEMA'S RESUME IN OUR
HANDS, REMEMBERING ALL THE
OTHER TIMES IN 2020, FOR
INSTANCE, WHEN HISTORIC
WILDFIRES DESTROYED THOUSANDS
OF HOMES IN OREGON. A STORY I
COVERED, I WAS LIVING THERE.
FEMA DENIED MORE THAN HALF OF
THE REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE.
THEY DESIGNED DENIED 14,000
PEOPLE. SOME FOR TYPOS. BUT
MOSTLY BECAUSE LOTS OF THOSE
PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE RESOURCES
OR WERE CONFUSED OR DEALING
WITH REBUILDING THEIR ENTIRE
LIVES. SO MUCH SO THAT ONLY
290 PEOPLE, THOSE 14,000
ACTUALLY WENT AHEAD AND FILED
AN APPEAL. BUT WHEN IT COMES
TO TRUST, FEMA DOESN'T MENTION
THAT. YOU SEE THIS KIND OF
MESSAGING NEVER WORKS IF EVERY
TIME YOU BORROW, THE CAR COMES
BACK. DINGED UP A KNIFE.
PROOF OF YOU HITTING CURBS AND
SCRAPING BUMPERS. YOU CAN'T
BLAME ME FOR CALLING YOU OUT.
WHEN I SEE A NEW DAY, EVEN IF
THAT ONE WASN'T YOUR FAULT, YOU
GOT A BIT OF A REPUTATION.
THE FOUNDER OF POLITIFACT WAS
ON JON STEWART THIS WEEK AND
PUT IT THIS WAY. ONE OF THE
BEST THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT
CAN DO IS TELL US WHEN IT DOES
NOT KNOW SOMETHING. TO BE
HONEST WITH US NOW, WAIT BEFORE
WE GO, ANY FURTHER, I WANT TO
GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY TRUMP
VANCE, HARRIS AND BIDEN HAVE
BEEN PLAYING THE MESSAGING
GAME. 2, IF YOU ASK HARRISON
BIDEN, FEMA'S DOING GREAT
EXCEPT FOR THE LIES FROM TRUMP
AND VANCE. AND IF YES, TRUMP
AND VANCE, FEMA IS A DISASTER
ALONG WITH ALLIES FROM HARRIS
AND BIDEN. THE TYPICAL
PREDICTABLE, BORING POLITICAL
NARRATIVE OF EXTREMES BY 2
GROUPS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
THEY BAD. WE GOOD SIMPLE AS
THAT BUT WOULDN'T MAKE JUST A
BIT MORE SENSE IF IT WAS A
LITTLE OF BOTH. HERE'S A LOCAL
REPUBLICAN FROM THE AREA.
>> I'M NOT GONNA DEFEND FEMA'S
HONOR. THEY'VE MADE A LOT OF
MISTAKES. THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE
A LOT OF MISTAKES IN OUR
RECOVERY EFFORT HERE. SIMPLY
FINDING THAT ALL ALL OF THE
ROOM OR THE FALL. SO THESE WERE
MORE GETTING IN THE WAY OF US
TRYING TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA RECOVER
FROM HELENE.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS
GETTING IN THE WAY?
TOWNS WASHED AWAY. ROADS
DESTROYED ENTIRE FAMILIES WHO
WERE KILLED. NEIGHBORS WORKING
WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND
POLICE FROM OTHER CITIES.
STRANGERS FROM HOURS AWAY.
PRIVATE PILOTS. THE NATIONAL
GUARD SOLDIERS FROM FORT
LIBERTY, FEMA, THE GOVERNOR,
THE PRESIDENT IN A PLACE WITH
NO POWER, NO WATER, CELL
PHONES. INTERNET ORG ASKED,
DOES THAT SEEM EASILY
MANAGEABLE TO YOU? PERHAPS JUST
MAYBE WHEN FACED WITH MOUNTAINS
WASHING AWAY MISTAKES WILL BE
MADE WILL BE A FEW
MISCOMMUNICATIONS. SO WHEN YOU
SEE THIS VIRAL STORY OF A PILOT
WHO SAID HE WAS FORCED TO STOP
RESCUE FLIGHTS AND THREATENED
WITH ARREST. IT'S NOT SOME BIG
CONSPIRACY. WE'VE COVERED THE
RESCUES THAT WERE HAPPENING
LIKE THAT FOR DAYS, DOZENS OF
PRIVATE PILOT'S STORY AFTER
STORY OF DRAMATIC RESCUE.
LOOK AT THE BON AIR TRAFFIC
FROM THE ASHE COUNTY AIRPORT
FROM 5 FLIGHTS A DAY TO 100 IN
50. DOES THAT SEEM LIKE HELP IS
BEING RESTRICTED? NO. MAYBE
THAT HELICOPTER PILOT WAS
TAKING TOO MANY RISKS AND PPE
AND PUTTING PEOPLE IN DANGER OR
MAYBE THE GUY WHO STOPPED HIM
SHOULDN'T HAVE OR MAY BE
MISUNDERSTOOD. THE ORDERS HE
WAS GIVEN. DOESN'T THAT SEEM
MORE LIKE REAL LIFE? THEN SOME
COMPLEX CONSPIRACY THEORY.
REMEMBER ANGELES EMAIL? I HAVE
HEARD THAT FEMA HAD TURNED
TRUCKS WITH SUPPLIES AWAY.
MAYBE THINK OF THE STORY THAT I
SAW OUT OF FLORIDA, PEOPLE IN
TREASURE ISLAND. THEY SAID THAT
FEMA WAS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM
THEIR HOMES, NOT LETTING THEM
HOLDER STUFF AWAY, SEPARATING
FAMILIES WITHIN THE REPORTER
WENT IN AND DID THE STORY AND
EXPLAINS WHY. SO HERE'S THE
THING. WE JUST TALKED TO THE
P I O FOR TREASURE ISLAND.
HE SAYS THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO
MAKE PEOPLE. PEOPLE LOVE ALL
THEIR STUFF BACK AND OUT OF
THEIR HOMES. THEY JUST CAN'T
LET ALL THESE CARS THROUGH AND
CAUSED A TRAFFIC JAM IN THERE
TRYING TO RESTORE.
>> THE POWER, FIX THE WATER
GRID, CLEAR DEBRIS LOOK.
>> MISINFORMATION. THAT WORD
MISINFORMATION. IT'S NOT GOING
ANYWHERE NEAR IS FLAT OUT LYING
OR MANIPULATION. IT'S UP TO YOU
TO THINK RATIONALLY TO USE
COMMON SENSE TO CONSIDER THE
WHOLE STORY IN THE MAY BE READ
A LITTLE MORE.
YES, IT IS A FACT THAT SHARING
FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT FEMA AID CAN
CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH GETTING
PEOPLE TO SUBMIT CLAIMS, BUT
NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS POVERTY,
LACK OF RESOURCES. LEGAL
GUIDANCE OR LOSING EVERYTHING
YOU'VE EVER OWNED. IF YOU'RE
GOING TO SHARE SOMETHING SHARED
THIS, IT'S THAT QR CODE WE KEEP
SHOWING YOU THE ONE THAT WILL
TAKE YOU TO PLACES TO DONATE
WAYS YOU CAN HELP IN GETTING
INVOLVED. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU
THINK IN PLEASE. NO ONE TELL ME
THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLS
THE WEATHER AND IT WANTS TO
SECURE A PRECIOUS METALS OR ANY
OF THAT KIND OF STUFF. IF YOU
BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE TOO FAR
GONE FOR THIS SEGMENT, STICK TO
TIKTOK. WATCH A BOND MOVIE.
I CAN'T HELP YOU.
>> EMAILED AN AT WRAL DOT COM.