Social media users are discouraging residents from accepting disaster aid in Maui, falsely claiming the Federal Emergency Management Agency could seize their property if they do
, some social media users are discouraging residents from accepting disaster aid by falsely claiming the Federal Emergency Management Agency could seize their property if they do.
THE FACTS: The federal agency says the claims are “absolutely false” and encourages Hawaiians to visit ato address rumors and frequently asked questions in the aftermath of the fires, which have claimed more than 100 lives. “This is one of many factors reviewed to determine what kind of disaster assistance you may be eligible for,” wrote the agency, which alsoto social media users spreading the false claims this week. “If the results of the inspection deem your home to be uninhabitable, that information is only used to determine the amount of FEMA assistance you may receive to make your home safe, sanitary and functional.”to nearly 2,000 households in Maui as of Friday.
“FEMA does not have the authority to take land or properties,” it said in a follow up statement, pointing toit released this week in which a FEMA official who is also a native Hawaiian urges residents to ignore the misinformation and seek disaster assistance. He maintains that FEMA could, in theory, invoke eminent domain during emergencies, based on his reading of the Stafford Act. But he doesn’t see any reason to believe that will happen in Hawaii, as state and local officials are leading the response, not federal authorities.
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