Erik Hooks said misinformation can harm staff morale across disaster relief sites.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Erik Hooks, the deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, visited the Multi-Agency Resource Center in Elizabethton Wednesday afternoon. Hooks’ visit comes as local, state and federal leaders continue relief efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
Hooks said he visited the Northeast Disaster Relief Center in Bristol, among other locations, during the day-long visit.
“It has been tremendous. You know, there are always a lot of challenges when you have a major and complicated storm and a community like that, but there are a lot of assets that are on the ground,” he said.
Some political leaders, including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, have criticized FEMA and the Biden Administration’s response to Hurricane Helene. Accusations of insufficient assistance on the ground and inadequate or misused federal funding are prevalent online, including from people claiming to be from affected communities.
The Biden Administration and FEMA …