Between September 24th and 28th, a weather front combined with the remnants of Hurricane Helene unleashed up to 30 inches of rain in parts of Western North Carolina, where the Appalachian Mountains meet the Tennessee border. This catastrophic deluge triggered flash floods that ravaged entire river valleys, causing over 100 fatalities in the state. In the midst of a contentious Presidential election year, local, state, and FEMA officials raced to provide emergency assistance, but their efforts were undermined by disinformation spread through social media. Armed, politically motivated groups also interfered with official recovery operations, further complicating the response.In this session, John will provide an overview of the storm, its aftermath, and the challenges faced in recovery efforts. He will discuss the impact of misinformation and disinformation, including the influx of unsolicited armed volunteers and overwhelming donations that became a logistical crisis. Finally, John will share strategies to help mitigate these challenges in future disaster responses.

What Will the Audience Learn:

Attendees will gain insights into how a few social media posts can spark actions from politically motivated groups, leading to uncoordinated response efforts and overwhelming, unsolicited donations that complicate disaster recovery. This session will highlight the significant role misinformation and disinformation play in shaping disaster responses, and attendees will leave with practical strategies to mitigate these challenges and improve coordination in future emergency situations.

Course Level: Intermediate

About the Presenter

John Unfred has spent 27 years in law enforcement for the City of Lakewood, rising through the ranks to Assistant Police Chief. For the last 19 years, he has managed the city’s emergency management program and served on the Pierce County Incident Management Team (IMT).As an Incident Commander, he has deployed to numerous disasters, including wildfires in Okanogan County, Hurricane Florence, the Amtrak Derailment in DuPont, Covid-19 response, the 2020 protests, and Hurricane Helene. He serves on the Emergency Management Advisory Group (EMAG) and is Vice Chair of the Emergency Management Council (EMC). John holds associate and bachelor’s degrees. In 2022, he served a six-month Executive Fellowship at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in their Active Shooter program. He has also completed the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) and FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy. He has been featured in multiple documentaries and local news broadcasts.