Republican and Democratic politicians and officials have in recent days resorted to pleading with people to stop spreading false information related to Hurricane Helene, with many saying that rumors and conspiracy theories are hampering recovery efforts.
A torrent of false claims has muddied details around the recovery efforts following the storm, which left hundreds dead and entire communities destroyed. Much of the bad information has focused on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its response.
“Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in WNC,” Kevin Corbin, a Republican North Carolina state senator, wrote on Facebook Thursday, pointing to false claims of FEMA stealing money from donations, the government controlling the weather from Antarctica or forcing people out of the region in order to mine its lithium, and a slew of other rumors.
“Thanks for listening but I’ve been working on this 12 hours a day since it started and I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions from the main job …. which is to help our citizens in need,” he added.
That weariness has been echoed by other local officials and citizens who are still reeling from one of the worst storms in U.S. history.
“Look, if there are any challenges, call my office. We’ll track them down if there are real issues,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that many of the conspiracies floating around online have been coming from people who are not experiencing the situation firsthand. “But quite honestly, most of what I’ve seen out there is a distraction and not helping the core of the effort right here, which is to save lives and start rebuilding.”
The false claims have primarily taken hold among media, politicians and influencers who support former President Donald Trump and come at a particularly crucial juncture, with less than a month until the 2024 election. Trump used his high-profile return to Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was nearly killed by a gunman, to continue to spread false claims about FEMA.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went as far as to call Elon Musk, the owner of X and one of Trump’s most high-profile supporters, who had been publishing text messages that he said showed FEMA blocking SpaceX from delivering supplies. FEMA has said it is not restricting airspace, but working with officials to ensure safe rescue and recovery operations in “very crowded and congested airspace.”
Musk stopped making those claims after Buttigieg called him. “Thanks for the call. Hopefully, we can resolve this soon,” Musk wrote on X.
The influx of disinformation online has prompted FEMA to add a “Rumor Response” page to its website, urging internet users to “keep yourself, your family and your community safe after Hurricane Helene by being aware of rumors and scams.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the agency “absolutely” has all the resources it needs, and that claims that the agency has been diverting funds to migrants or intentionally ignoring Republican-dominated areas are “frankly ridiculous and just plain false.”
“This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people. It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do,” Criswell said, adding, “We’ve had the local officials helping to push back on this dangerous, truly dangerous, narrative that is creating this fear of trying to reach out and help us or to register for help.”
In response to calls online for a militia to counteract FEMA, Criswell said this sentiment has been demoralizing to its first responders and other staff members.
“I need to make sure I can get the resources to where they’re needed, and when you have this dangerous rhetoric like you’re hearing, it creates fear in our own employees,” she said. “We need to make sure we’re getting help to the people who need it.”
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety added a similar “Fact vs. Rumor” page reminding people to turn to credible government sources and beware of AI-generated images that falsely depict conditions on the ground.
Beyond misinformation, images that appear to have been generated by artificial intelligence have also spread across social media. One photo of a young girl and a puppy has been embraced by some right-wing personalities to push claims that the government has failed in its disaster response. Other images that have spread on Facebook and debunked by third-party reviewers, falsely depict Trump in knee-deep flood waters during his visit to Valdosta, Georgia. One post has amassed over 166,000 shares as of Monday.
Even as some claims were quickly debunked, more continued to surface across platforms such as X, TikTok and Facebook. The deluge has frustrated public officials, who say they distract from rescue efforts and disorient workers trying to provide help.
On Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper posted on X that “impacted areas have been the target of a relentless vortex of disinformation, dialed up by bad actors and platforms like X.”
“We need to work together to rebuild and recover from a catastrophic disaster like this one — and spreading false information to sow chaos hurts real people,” Cooper wrote. “Politicians, billionaires and grifters who peddle lies during a time of crisis should be held accountable.”
