“An unprecedented number of airplanes, helicopters, and drones swooping in to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts are now posing a safety hazard,” said a Friday X post from CNN reporter Pete Muntean. “There were 30 near-mid-air collisions last Saturday, a federal source tells me.”
A federal official briefed on the matter confirmed the close calls to CBS News Friday, and said they all occurred Saturday, Sept. 28. Citing the Federal Aviation Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the outlet said air traffic over Western North Carolina has increased by 300% due to relief efforts since the storm cleared.
This news came shortly before the White House issued a fact sheet to clear up falsehoods circulating about Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“Unfortunately, as our response and recovery efforts continue, we have seen a large increase in false information circulating online related to the federal response to Hurricane Helene,” it said. One of those falsehoods was that airspace over North Carolina was being restricted.
“There are no airspace restrictions in place in North Carolina as rescue efforts continue because of Hurricane Helene,” said the White House. “Pilots looking to come into Asheville or Rutherford airports need to reach out to the airport for permission to land. The FAA is working with local authorities to ensure rescue efforts happen safely.”
Since Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September, volunteer rescuers have been heading to areas worst hit by the storm, including Virginia and North Carolina. In the latter, the hurricane-related death toll had reached 115 by this Saturday, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
Jordan Seidhom – former head of the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office narcotics – and his son, a high school junior, were some of the volunteers who headed out into the wreckage left by Helene, according to the Queen City News. It said they’re both volunteer members of the Sandhills Volunteer Fire Department in Pageland, S.C.
When they saw Facebook posts about people left stranded without food and water, the Seidhoms took their helicopter out to North Carolina and coordinated with others to help the efforts. At one point, they ended up rescuing a woman from the side of a mountain and Seidhom’s son stayed behind with her husband due to concerns about weight in the helicopter.
However, once Seidhom found a place to land and started coordinating with other first responders, he said a fire official from the town of Lake Lure threatened to arrest him for interfering in the town’s rescue operation. Even after being told not to, Seidhom went back to the mountain to get his son, but had to leave the rescued woman’s husband there.
A temporary flight restriction soon popped up in the area where Seidhom rescued the woman, said the outlet. Seidhom said he was the only helicopter within 40 nautical miles of Lake Lure at the time.
He did eventually go back again to help with the rescue efforts on Sept. 30. Seidhom found “a massive volunteer effort was underway to dispatch private helicopters to help deliver food and water to landing sites, as well as to addresses where victims were thought to be stranded,” said the Queen City News. It said the name of the group Carolina Emergency Response Team, based in South Carolina.
“They’re basically begging for these helicopters,” Seidhom said in a phone call late Monday night. He added that military helicopters sent to the area were too large to land in the debris.
Fox News Digital reported on another group of volunteers who saved an 11-day-old baby. Florida Guard Special Missions Unit’s Jon Howard, Aerial Recovery'; Charlie Keebaugh, pilot Mark Roseman and civilian helicopter pilot Zeb Hadley questioned the federal government and state leadership in the wake of the storm, said the outlet.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – who has recently developed closer ties to former President Donald Trump, the current GOP nominee for president – also claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration was blocking flights with deliveries for hurricane victims. However, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg refuted that claim in a Friday X post.
“No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call,” Buttigieg said.
“Thanks for helping simplify the FAA NOTAM. Support flights are now underway,” Musk responded. “Much appreciated.”
This Friday, President Joe Biden also made more disaster assistance available in Virginia. He also sent a letter to Congress urging lawmakers to act on disaster needs including providing more funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program.
“As communities across the Southeast devastated by Hurricane Helene assess the extent of the damage, they are expecting their Federal Government to stand behind them in their most urgent time of need,” said the president. “I have seen firsthand the devastation that Hurricane Helene brought to communities across the Southeast.”