As Hurricanes Helene and Milton bring destruction to the South, meteorologists are working around the clock to keep their communities updated on the storms and inform them of best practices to stay safe. So, why are their lives being threatened?
A dangerous, unprecedented wave of conspiracy theories and disinformation is flooding the U.S. alongside the hurricanes. Baseless claims surrounding geo-engineering and FEMA are severely downplaying a major natural disaster and hindering relief efforts.
As several conspiracies surrounding the disasters have gone viral, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) stands on another level of promoting the idea of geo-engineering, or the ability to control the weather.
On X, formerly Twitter, she claimed, “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”
Greene’s claims were quickly debunked by experts – although it does not require an expert to understand the absurdity of the claim.
The Atlantic reported, “Human attempts to control the weather are gaining momentum, but hurricanes are simply too powerful to harness.”
Essentially, geo-engineering is being studied to control the effects of climate change, but a hurricane is a natural disaster that cannot be man-made. This hasn’t stopped individuals from spreading and believing conspiracies – especially those that involve political games.
Matt Wallace, an influencer who often shares conspiracies, posted on X, “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.”
This specific post garnered 12 million views.
As far-right Republicans believe that Democrats are creating hurricanes to wipe out historically red counties amid an election, conspiracies about the Federal Emergency Management Agency have surfaced.
Former President Donald Trump is promoting disinformation surrounding FEMA and their work in relieving the effects of destruction in the South.
CNN fact-checked six claims that Trump made about the relief efforts – three relating to FEMA.
He claimed that individuals applying for assistance are only receiving $750, which is a merely untrue and incomplete statement. The upfront, immediate amount victims receive is $750 for basic needs, with tens of thousands of dollars to follow when damage is assessed and homes need to be repaired, for example.
Trump also promoted the idea that the Biden-Harris administration is using funds from FEMA to house migrants and get them to vote. There are two separate programs for assisting state and local governments housing immigrants and for disaster relief – and they are allocated different amounts by Congress. They are both distributed through FEMA, but kept separate.
This was proved to have no basis, but he continued to say that money was stolen from the funds afterward.
Politicoreported, “Without mentioning Musk or Trump, FEMA leaders said Tuesday that misinformation is causing problems for Helene survivors, some of whom are being dissuaded from seeking help. They said it’s also harming emergency responders, whose morale has taken a hit amid threats to their safety.”
Affected individuals are discouraged from requesting FEMA assistance because of Trump’s lies and emergency responders’ crucial role is severely downplayed by saying the disaster was man-made.
Additionally, after receiving threats, Meteorologist Katie Nickolaou said, “Murdering meteorologists won't stop hurricanes.”
These conspiracies are imposing unneeded harm to those in the worst of the hurricanes: the residents, the emergency responders and meteorologists.
People, especially elected officials, should be focused on ways to support them and keep them safe. Instead, spreading baseless claims about weather-controlling and stolen funds is essentially doing the opposite.
Now, more than ever, it is crucial to debunk conspiracies and disinformation that is causing harm.
Layne Rey is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.
