RALEIGH, NC, Oct 15, (AP): Federal disaster workers paused and then changed some of their hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina, including abandoning door-to-door visits, after receiving threats that they could be targeted by a militia, officials said, as the government response to Helene is targeted by runaway disinformation.

The threats emerged over the weekend. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Monday that it received a call Saturday about a man with an assault rifle who made a comment "about possibly harming" employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, in the North Carolina mountains.

Authorities got a description of a suspect’s vehicle and license plate and later identified him as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, a small community about 60 miles west of Charlotte. Sheriff’s officials said in a statement that Parsons - who was armed with a handgun and a rifle - was charged with "going armed to the terror of the public,” a misdemeanor. He was released after posting bond.

The sheriff’s office said initial reports indicated that a "truckload of militia” was involved in making the threat, but further investigation determined that Parsons acted alone. Messages left seeking comment at phone listings for Parsons and a possible relative were not immediately returned. In a Facebook post, Ashe County Sheriff B. Phil Howell said FEMA put some work on hold as it assessed the threats.

"Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don’t stir the pot,” Howell wrote Sunday. FEMA confirmed in a statement Monday that it adjusted operations. It emphasized that disaster-recovery centers remain open and that FEMA continues "to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery."

Workers from the agency's disaster-assistance teams - who help survivors apply for FEMA aid and connect them with additional state and local resources - have stopped going door to door and instead are working from fixed locations while the potential threats are assessed, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not publicly discuss details of the operations.