Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the United States this week, a new storm has emerged on social media—false rumors regarding the use of disaster funds and even claims that officials control the weather. Local and national government officials are actively working to combat these rumors, including one propagated by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Among the more outlandish rumors is the notion that Helene was an engineered storm designed to enable corporations to mine regional lithium deposits. Others allege that President Joe Biden’s administration is using federal disaster funds to assist undocumented migrants or suggest that officials are deliberately abandoning bodies during the cleanup efforts.
Republican Congress member Marjorie Taylor Greene stated on X on Thursday night: “Yes, they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.” These conspiracy theories arise at a crucial moment for rescue and recovery efforts following what has been one of the deadliest hurricanes in the U.S. this century, with the presidential election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris just over a month away.
Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns about the impact of these rumors. Kevin Corbin, a Republican in the North Carolina Senate, shared, “I just talked to one Senator that has had 15 calls TODAY about why we don’t stop… ‘fill in the blank.'” He emphasized, “98% chance it’s not true and if it is a problem, somebody is aware and on it,” on Facebook. “I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions,” he added.
White House officials on Friday accused some Republican leaders and conservative media of deliberately spreading these rumors to sow division among Americans, which could hinder disaster relief efforts. A White House memo stated, “Disinformation of this kind can discourage people from seeking critical assistance when they need it most. It is paramount that every leader, whatever their political beliefs, stops spreading this poison.”
The memo specifically addressed a claim made by Trump during a rally this week, alleging that Biden and Harris had used federal emergency funds “on people that should not be in our country.” The memo refuted this, asserting, “This is FALSE. No disaster relief funding at all was used to support migrants’ housing and services. None. At. All.”
In response to a request for comment for this article, the Trump campaign repeated accusations that FEMA funds had been spent on housing migrants in the country illegally.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has the funds for immediate response and recovery efforts for Helene, the White House memo said, and has provided millions of dollars in relief to those recovering.
FEMA has been the target of so many falsehoods it has set up a rumor response page on its website to try to tamp them down.
Helene slammed into Florida a week ago and has killed over 200 people and devastated a half dozen states in the U.S. Southeast.
Some officials are trying to combat the disinformation themselves on social media. Katie Keaotamai, who works at FEMA but said she was speaking on social media in a personal capacity, explained FEMA’s disaster response processes in several TikTok posts with thousands of views.
Disaster events are often politicized, said Kate Starbird, co-founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, adding that social media rewards “sensationalism and outrage with attention.”
“Manipulating the sensemaking process (e.g. spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation) and politicizing the event will both make it harder to respond and recover now — and to make informed decisions about how to prepare for and mitigate the next one,” Starbird said.
