Rampant conspiracy theories are hindering hurricane relief efforts, say officials

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, some of the dialogue on social media includes baseless theories that the storm has been geo-engineered, that the government is involved in hurricane creation, and that such storms are being directed to hit predominantly Republican areas.

"Not only is that absurd, it's frustrating," said Amber Silver, an assistant professor at the University at Albany's College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.

It's just an example of the series of false claims and conspiracy theories that have accompanied Milton, which is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, and Hurricane Helene, which also hit Florida and other southeastern U.S. states two weeks ago.

And it's misinformation and disinformation that officials say have resulted in hampering the relief and recovery efforts. 

"It is absolutely the worst I have ever seen," FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on a Tuesday morning call, as reported by Politico. 

"It's creating distrust in the federal government, but also the state government, and we have so many first responders that have been working to go out and help these communities."

In North Carolina, for example, after Hurricane Helene made landfall, social media was replete with conspiracy theories that cautioned residents not to leave their homes, that if the Federal Emergency Management Agency came to the door, they were really there to bulldoze the house for the lithium deposits buried below, Silver said.

There has also been misinformation about funding for hurricane relief efforts, false claims that some areas, based on political demographics, are being purposefully neglected, or that that relief funds are being diverted to migrants or to Ukraine.

Such misinformation is dissuading survivors from seeking help and has created a sense of fear and mistrust from residents against the thousands of FEMA employees and volunteers on the ground., Criswell said on ABC's This Week.

Hurricane Helene killed more than 230 people across several states, including Floridians who didn't leave and then drowned in their homes.

Much of the misinformation is being repeated and emphasized by politicians, by people with large TikTok followings and social media followings, Criswell said.

That spread of conspiracy theories includes former U.S. president Donald Trump who, officials say, helped fuel a frenzy of misinformation over the past week among the communities most devastated by Helene. Trump promoted a number of false claims, including that Washington is intentionally withholding aid to people in Republican areas.

But other rumours, including the suggestion the hurricanes are intentional, have also gained steam. Crypto influencer Matt Walace tweeted out: "Don't worry guys, weather modification isn't real! It's just a coincidence that Hurricane Helene is one of the most devastating 'inland damage storms' in history and that hundreds of pro-Trump counties are being massively impacted during the most important election of our lifetimes."

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has also received a lot of attention for her false claim that "they control the weather."