A recent X post went viral, sparking even more outrage about the federal government’s failures in Western North Carolina and a slew of conspiracy theories.
On the evening of Sunday, October 6, a helicopter “washed down” a POD center where the United Cajun Navy was distributing supplies and providing assistance to those affected by Hurricane Helene. This area was a no-fly zone, so the appearance of a helicopter flying at an altitude of 500 was possible Feet from the ground was extremely frightening, as the UCN documented on its X page.
We have officially found our first customer for a free swamp tour! Whoever the moron was that intentionally rotor washed the Burnsville POD, it was a hostile act that ruined a whole lot of really good stuff @FAANews Laws! Our logo can be clearly seen on the materials! Good luck trying it out… https://t.co/sBxSTWy7jU
– United Cajun Navy (@Unitedcajunnavy) October 7, 2024
We have officially found our first customer for a free swamp tour! Whoever the moron was that intentionally rotor washed the Burnsville POD, it was a hostile act that ruined a whole lot of really good stuff @FAANews Laws! Our logo can be clearly seen on the materials! Good luck trying to stay anonymous. We will get in touch with you soon!
For commenters and people who were quick to scoff at “fake news,” Brian Trascher, vice president and public information officer for the United Cajun Navy, confirmed these facts with screenshots of a text from one of his volunteers.
In a telephone interview with Trascher, he said the text message was just one of many. Trascher said that by studying the videos and listening to eyewitness accounts from volunteers and staff on site, UCN determined that the helicopter was likely a UH60-standard Blackhawk and that the pilots were wearing military-style headgear.
Yes, it takes two pilots to fly. One of those things, and both were wearing the standard Department of Defense equipment, the headgear.
A video recorded by another passerby on the site was also leaked, with much commentary and speculation about government involvement – that it was a deliberate attack, along with the usual sweeping conspiracies about Hurricane Helene and its causes.
BREAKING 🚨 New video posted by Kamala Harris Blackhawk helicopter destroying Hurricane Helene donations
Another man who was there at the donation center in western North Carolina caught them on camera and posted an additional angle showing the helicopter sabotaging supplies pic.twitter.com/53JXGQ8XhC
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) October 8, 2024
Trascher and his team are conducting an investigation, but who it might have been and what their motives were is pure speculation at this point.
Y’all, we really try to stay out of the conspiracy space, but some people don’t make it simple. This actually happened at a distribution location we served in WNC. Please make it make sense. #CajunNavy https://t.co/39b5SeouCA
– United Cajun Navy (@Unitedcajunnavy) October 7, 2024
It could have been a balmy shot. I mean, I just don’t know if it was military in nature. I mean, frankly, as an organization, leadership has been pretty tough on this thing today and, you know, we believe that instead of going down the rabbit hole and trying to figure out what happened and why, we’re going to deploy to Florida, That’s a very different animal than North Carolina.
Trascher reiterated UCN’s mission to “show up and never give in” to provide first aid after a disaster.
Many people wrote to us saying they had never heard of it @Unitedcajunnavy until recently. Well, for the benefit of all our up-to-date followers, please allow us to introduce ourselves… We are them #CajunNavy. We come first and never give in! https://t.co/BfyxAMSXQY… pic.twitter.com/0fERQM7hPN
– United Cajun Navy (@Unitedcajunnavy) October 7, 2024
With Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 monster, heading toward Florida, UCN is now preparing to support that state while suspending operations in western North Carolina.
You know, we’re about to deploy to Florida, which is very different than North Carolina. If we don’t run into the same obstacles and threats and, you know, hostile actions from a helicopter, then we’ll just assume it has something to do with North Carolina. It is the state.
And de facto the leadership of the state. Comparing North Carolina’s Democratic Governor Roy Cooper to Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in terms of leadership, preparedness and response to disasters is like comparing Imane Khelif, the Olympic boxer who competed as a woman It started with the delayed, great Muhammed Ali.
Trascher mentioned FEMA in passing and that their glacial response was a feature, not a bug.
We try our best to explain to people that FEMA and the National Guard are not first or second responders. It takes a long time for the 800-pound gorilla to wake up and start moving, but people can’t wait, can they? So we are the first three on site.
Given the threat of Hurricane Milton, Trascher mentioned DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ claim that FEMA’s hurricane response funds were running low, making the following comment: “He said he didn’t have enough money for another big storm , and God heard him.”
