FACT FOCUS: A look at the false information around Hurricanes Helene and Milton
The succession of hurricanes that brought death and destruction to parts of the South were exacerbated by a wide range of false and misleading information, some of which continues to circulate even though it has been conclusively proven to be false.
In the final weeks of the hard-fought presidential election, the false information became political fodder, especially in swing states that were hit hard by Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton. Former President Donald Trump advanced a litany of false claims at campaign events and on social media, with his supporters helping to give voice to the information.
Federal, state and local officials, including several Republicans, have condemned the false information, noting that it has become more difficult to meet the needs of those affected by the hurricanes.
Here’s a look at the facts surrounding some of the most widespread misinformation.
CLAIM: The government used weather technology to create Hurricanes Helene and Milton, deliberately targeting Republican voters.
THE FACTS: Both hurricanes were natural phenomena. Humans don’t have the technology to monitor such massive weather systems. Hurricanes hit many of the same areas as they have for centuries.
Fully developed hurricanes release enormous amounts of heat energy — the equivalent of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes, according to Chris Landsea, chief of tropical analysis at the National Hurricane Center.
“If meteorologists could stop hurricanes, we could stop hurricanes,” said Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany. “If we could control the weather, we wouldn’t want the kind of death and destruction that has occurred.”
Historic efforts to control hurricanes have failed. For example, between the 1960s and 1980s, the federal government toyed with the idea of making storms larger in size but weaker in intensity. But tests were inconclusive, and researchers realized that if they made the storms bigger, they would endanger more people. A 1947 attempt by General Electric and the U.S. Army that involved dropping dry ice into the path of a hurricane by Air Force planes in an attempt to weaken the ice also did not work.
CLAIM: The federal government failed to respond to Hurricane Helene and deliberately withheld aid to victims in Republican areas.
THE FACTS: Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, actively supported attempts at recovery.
Biden approved major disaster declarations Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee And Virginiaallowing survivors to access funds and resources to immediately kick-start their recovery. The White House announced that the president spoke by phone with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on September 29; Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina; Scott Matheson, Mayor of Valdosta, Georgia, and John Louk, Director of Emergency Management in Florida. Kemp confirmed on September 30 that he spoke to Biden the night before and the state got everything it needed.
Harris visited FEMA headquarters in Washington on September 30. She called Helene’s devastation “heartbreaking” and vowed that she and Biden would ensure affected communities “get what they need to recover.”
The president and vice president have both been to areas affected by Helene.
CLAIM: The federal government plans to seize and bulldoze some particularly hard-hit communities, such as Chimney Rock, North Carolina, and prevent residents from rebuilding their own properties.
THE FACTS: That’s not true, according to local officials. Shortly after Chimney Rock was destroyed by the Helene floods, posts began circulating on social media claiming that the federal government planned to seize all of the community’s property through eminent domain and not let residents return or rebuild. Some versions of the claim suggested that authorities would not even allow residents to claim the bodies of storm victims, or that communities were being seized as part of a federal plan to gain control of valuable lithium mines nearby .
Far-right extremists and white supremacist groups picked up the claim on platforms like Telegram and tried to link false claims about the lithium mines to efforts to combat climate change by promoting electric vehicles, which use lithium in their batteries. Officials from both parties who represent the area and oversee recovery efforts said none of this is true.
FEMA cannot arbitrarily seize private property or condemn entire communities, and the federal government has no plans to seize mines or force entire towns to relocate.
“I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X or any other social media platform is not always fact. Be sure to fact-check what you read online with a reputable source,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican from North Carolina, wrote to his constituents in a post that debunks several viral claims about the storm.
CLAIM: Hurricane survivors will only get a $750 loan from FEMA, which will seize their land if they don’t pay it back.
THE FACTS: That’s not true. Keith Turi, acting director of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, said this figure refers to assistance the agency can provide someone in an affected area for immediate needs, such as clothing or food.
FEMA wrote the “Hurricane Rumor Response” page notes that such payments are called Serious Needs Assistances and can be used while the agency evaluates an applicant’s eligibility for additional funds.
The maximum amount for initial Serious Needs Assistance increased to $770 on October 1. Serious Needs Assistance is a grant that does not have to be repaid. Jaclyn Rothenberg, a FEMA spokesperson, confirmed in an X-post that the agency “is not asking for this money back.”
Certain FEMA grants may need to be repaid, although this is less common. For example, if a survivor receives duplicate benefits from insurance or another source.
CLAIM: FEMA does not have enough money for hurricane victims because it is used to help immigrants in the country illegally or goes to foreign funding for Israel and Ukraine.
THE FACTS: That is incorrect. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday on MSNBC“There is money in my budget – the Disaster Relief Fund – to continue Hurricane Helene and Milton response efforts.” She added that the agency will have to assess how much money will be left to continue recovery projects and respond to future storms this season.
FEMA’s disaster fund is replenished each year by Congress and is used to pay for recovery from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other disasters. Congress recently replenished the fund by $20 billion – the same amount FEMA received last year. About $8 billion of that is earmarked for recovery from past storms and mitigation projects. It separately funds foreign military aid.
No money from the FEMA fund has been used to support border issues or international issues and is only used for disaster-related efforts. according to the agency.
CLAIM: The federal government flies unmarked helicopters to Hurricane Helene staging areas and purposefully destroys aid intended for victims in western North Carolina.
THE FACTS: These claims are based on a video that showed a helicopter flying over a parking lot where hurricane aid was being collected. As it hovered over the area, it kicked debris and supplies toward the site and toppled canopies.
The North Carolina National Guard This is stated in a statement issued on Tuesday that the video shows one of the helicopters attempting to deliver a generator, requested by a local civilian organization, to power their supply distribution site. As the helicopter descended into a Burnsville parking lot As it was used for relief efforts, it kicked up debris and supplies at the site and dropped canopies. The landing was aborted for safety reasons.
Megan George, a dog trainer and former Coast Guard veteran who first posted the video, told The Associated Press that she did not intend for it to be used as evidence of government malice, but rather as documentation of a dangerous situation to which they are responding wild. .
According to the National Guard statement, the helicopter crew is on the ground until the investigation into the incident is completed.
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Associated Press writer David Klepper in Washington contributed to this article.
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Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.