Private drones can fly over areas hit by Hurricane Helene to offer aid; no ban’s in place

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm Sept. 26 in north Florida and continued through the southeastern U.S., leaving massive destruction, power outages and more than 200 people dead. 

As people try to help one another after the storm, social media posts are claiming that private drones are being banned from flying over hurricane affected areas. But that is not accurate. 

"Pete Buttigieg has declared that private drones are BANNED from flying over areas affected by Hurricane Helene. They’re deliberately impeding the ability of volunteers to assist in search and rescue and documenting the extent of the disaster," an Oct. 3 X post said, referring to the transportation secretary.

Another Oct. 3 X post said: "BREAKING: Pete Buttigieg announces private drones are RESTRICTED from flying over hurricane areas. This prevents civilian volunteers from locating victims in need or showing footage of the disaster."

These posts included a 23-second clip of Buttigieg saying: "Our goal is to make sure that funding is no obstacle to very quickly getting people the relief that they need and deserve. There’s also some safety issues that come up. For example, temporary flight restrictions to make sure that the airspace is clear for any flights or drone activity that might be involved in helping to allow those emergency responders to do their job."

The U.S. Transportation Department also posted that video Oct. 2 on X, with caption that said, "Drone pilots: Do not fly your drone near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene. Interfering with emergency response operations impacts search and rescue operations on the ground. For more information on temporary flight restrictions follow: @FAADroneZone."

But a Transportation Department spokesperson said the Federal Aviation Administration is not banning drones from providing Hurricane Helene disaster relief and recovery assistance. The spokesperson said the department’s Oct. 2 X post referred to a temporary flight restriction in limited parts of the affected areas that was lifted that night. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said on its website that a temporary flight restriction is a notice that an area is restricted to air travel because of hazardous conditions, a special event, "or a general warning for the entire FAA airspace."

On Oct. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration posted a notice advising drone pilots to be careful about collisions with other aircraft. It said that after Hurricane Helene, there had been "an increased presence" of drones operating in western North Carolina.

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"Many public safety organizations are operating drones for life-safety missions and may be anywhere up to 400’ AGL or higher," the notice said. "Be advised that drones are comparatively small and often blend in with the background; drone pilots may not identify other aircraft in time to safely maneuver out of the way."

The FAA’s bans and temporary flight restrictions aren’t the same. A ban completely bars aircraft from flying over a specific area. A temporary flight restriction is temporary and usually applies to nonauthorized flights during an emergency situation or a special event. In the Hurricane Helene aftermath, a private drone owner could ask local authorities for permission to fly the drone and assist with emergency response.

Temporary flight restrictions apply to all aircraft (with people aboard and drones). The Federal Aviation Administration enforces these restrictions after local authorities or law enforcement agencies request them. The restrictions apply  only to the limited areas and civilians, and volunteers can coordinate with emergency responders to access airspace when they’re in force, the Transportation Department said. 

The Transportation Department said that anyone looking to use a drone or other aircraft to aid Hurricane Helene disaster relief should coordinate with first responders and law enforcement. 

As of Oct. 4, the Federal Aviation Administration’s temporary flight restrictions page lists no Hurricane Helene-related restrictions in the southeastern United States.

X posts said Buttigieg banned private drones from flying over areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

But a Transportation Department spokesperson said the Federal Aviation Administration has not banned drones from providing Hurricane Helene disaster relief and recovery assistance. 

The Federal Aviation Administration on Oct. 2 issued a temporary flight restriction in limited parts of the areas Hurricane Helene affected, but lifted the restriction that night. 

A ban bars aircraft from flying over a specific area. A temporary flight restriction is temporary and usually applies to nonauthorized flights during emergency situations or special events. People who want to volunteer during emergency situations can coordinate with the authorities to have access to the restricted airspace.

We rate this claim Mostly False.