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One user on X (formerly Twitter) captured the sentiment of many, stating, “Here are 3 ‘rotor wash’ incidents on western NC local relief stations I am aware of at this time. The first video is a military Chinook style helicopter that rotor washed another relief station blowing away aid, injuring 3 people, and causing 100k in damages to people’s cars and campers (see 4th upload for details).” The post goes on to ask a pointed question that is being echoed across social media platforms: “Why is FEMA at war with us?”
This is not the first time questions have been raised about the handling of relief efforts in North Carolina. A previous video showed another helicopter attempting to land in a relief station’s parking lot, with similarly disastrous results. The incident has fueled speculation about whether proper precautions and guidelines are being followed during these helicopter missions.
In the most recent incident, eyewitnesses describe a scene that quickly devolved into chaos. A member of the disaster recovery team, who was on site when the helicopter arrived, shared their account online: “A National Guard Chinook helicopter was landing next to our project, like the other 100 helicopters we’ve seen this week, and they decided to ‘buzz the tower,’ if you will. Coming in way too low and destroying all of our tents, awnings, our lunch, and damaging multiple trucks, trailers, campers, and much more.”
You can see the footage below:
The devastation was not limited to material goods. Three relief workers were injured and transported to the hospital. According to the team member, the incident occurred just as they were about to enjoy their first hot meal of the week, which was ruined in the aftermath of the helicopter’s flyover. Despite the gravity of the situation, the team was given little explanation for what had transpired.
“When confronting the Senior Officer in charge, we were basically told ‘Oops, our bad, and see ya,’” the team member recalled, adding that their requests for the names of those responsible were met with indifference. All they were able to obtain was the helicopter’s tail number, which they later provided to authorities.
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Fortunately, the story took a turn when the team member’s father, a retired military officer, stepped in. “Thankfully, my father who is retired military, knew who to call immediately. Within 30 minutes the National Guard and the FAA had contacted me. And a public affairs officer stopped by our site later to apologize and give me the information to file a complaint and claim.”
The incident raises serious questions about the oversight and coordination of relief efforts, particularly those involving military assets. While helicopters are a crucial part of disaster recovery, ensuring they do not inadvertently cause further harm should be a top priority. With multiple incidents of this nature being reported, calls for accountability are growing louder, as victims demand answers and assurances that such accidents will not continue to occur.
As the situation develops, more voices are joining the conversation online, many expressing their disillusionment with the federal response to Hurricane Helene’s aftermath. Whether this latest helicopter mishap will prompt any changes in how relief missions are conducted remains to be seen, but for those impacted, it has already left a lasting mark.
The pilots of these helicopters must be located and fined and have their pilots license taken away for two years with a heavy fine, these pilots should know better than to allow their rotor wash from the rotors can injure people this is reckless operation of a helicopter and must be dealt with with harsh penalties to the pilots and crew of these helicopters maybe even jail time this cannot go without conquensesses to all involved.