Despite protests from authorities, false conspiracy theories about Hurricane Milton spread

Unfounded conspiracy theories about climate change and false claims about humanitarian relief efforts have proliferated in X in recent days, with misinformation about Hurricane Milton adding to the mountain of false rumors about Hurricane Helen and its aftermath.

The outbreak has drawn pressure from local and federal officials, including some politicians, who have denied the spread of misinformation and foreign claims about the storm's origins.

But it did little to suppress some of the higher tones. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who told Ex last week that “they can control the weather” implied that hurricanes were part of a political conspiracy. In another post

President Joe Biden criticized Green made the claims at a briefing Wednesday, calling them “beyond ridiculous” and saying, “This has got to stop.” Some Republican lawmakers also criticized Green's claims.

Greene and conspiracy theorists cite pages from NOAA on climate change projects. But the idea that any previous attempts to interfere with weather patterns were involved in creating or worsening hurricanes is unproven and false.

Hugh Willoughby, a professor at Florida International University who has worked for NOAA's Hurricane Research Division for more than 20 years, said government-funded efforts to address climate change in the past, e.g. Project STORMAttempts are made to weaken the hurricane. The project lasted more than 10 years, but was abandoned in 1983.

“We’re all trying to prevent human suffering,” Willoughby said. “And if someone is deliberately doing the things they imagine, we will report them.”

Added “community notes” to some of Green’s posts. An X spokesperson said that when a post is tagged with a crowdsourced “Community Notes,” which allows users to provide context or clarify information to posts, it is half as likely to be shared again. The spokesperson added that posts with notes are 80% more likely to be deleted by their authors. Green has not deleted his posts referencing conspiracy theories.

In response to challenges to Green's false claims, his deputy chief of staff, Nick Dyer, defended them, saying he was actually the victim of a conspiracy theory.

The explosion of misinformation comes just three weeks before Election Day, raising some concerns about whether people in areas affected by the storms will be able to vote. A quick research report released Wednesday by the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public said Milton would only add to an already murky situation.

“Right now, as the state and local Board of Elections work quickly to communicate their plans, “There is lingering uncertainty about the extent of the storm's impact on the electoral process and how they can be addressed,” the center said in its report, which it hopes to use these conditions to promote strategic narratives and unfounded conspiracy theories. arrives in Florida this week, we hope the rumors continue.”

Since Hurricane Helen hit on September 26, there has been a lot of misinformation circulating about FEMA Former President Donald Trump lied during an October 3 rally in Saginaw, Michigan This is a federal demand for emergency disaster money Rep. from the USA, Jim Jordan from Ohio received illegal immigration. A similar false claim is made in XThe fact that FEMA used disaster funds to house immigrants is a post that Elon Musk posted, among others, about FEMA.

In 2023, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administered $364 million to cities and counties serving immigrants under its shelter and services program and $640 million in Customs and Border Protection grants. However, its shelter and services program is separate from its humanitarian aid fund, which is over $20 billion.

In a post responding to the claims, White House spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez wrote: “Humanitarian relief funding is specifically appropriated by Congress to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters. Programs administered by FEMA for DHS are different.

Although some false claims have circulated on other platforms, X appears to be the platform with the largest user base on which conspiracy theories are gaining the most traction.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think tank, said in a report on Tuesday that its analysts found 33 posts on X containing FEMA disinformation that generated more than 160 million views as of October 7. The ISD noted that about a third of the posts analyzed contained anti-Semitic hatred against Jewish officials such as the mayor. Asheville, North Carolina, FEMA Director of Public Affairs and Secretary of Homeland Security. The think tank found that since October 7, anti-Semitic posts have received more than 17 million views.

“The situation exemplifies a broader trend: increasingly, a broad array of conspiratorial groups, extremist movements, political and business interests, and sometimes hostile states, converge around crises to advance their agendas through lies, division and online hate,” the ISD said. . In your report. “They exploit moderation flaws in social networks, manipulating their algorithmic systems and often creating dangerous effects in the real world.”

“The lies surrounding the hurricane response have given rise to credible threats and incitements to violence directed at the federal government – ​​including calls to send militias to confront FEMA for refusing aid, and individuals who will 'shoot' FEMA employees and crews agency emergency response. “, the report added.

Shauna Bowes, a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University whose research focuses on misinformation and polarization, says times of “disaster” are often hotbeds for misinformation. He said when misinformation comes from those in power, it becomes more dangerous.

“Messages from the political elite can really polarize, really fuel division and shape politics,” Bowes said. “So when these people spread misinformation and conspiracy theories, it's like, 'Oh, okay, okay, maybe it's true. Maybe it's real because someone wise says it's true.

Bowes added that in times of disaster, conspiracy theories emerge when people start to “blame someone else” in order to understand what is happening.

FEMA is working to reduce the spread of misinformation about hurricanes online. Government agencies a Web page responding to Hurricane Helen rumors. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety took a similar approach to create its own False Information Correction Page.

on Wednesday, FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell said at a news conference that the agency is still seeing the spread of misinformation, but that the volume has started to decline.

“We have to continue to focus on our mission right now, and our mission here is to help people,” Criswell said. “We will not allow misinformation to distract us from the important work we must do.”