Misinformation about hurricanes creates danger, according to experts

The misinformation and conspiracy theories have spread rapidly in response to natural disasters in the southeastern United States, creating distrust in the government response, according to the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“It’s absolutely the worst I’ve ever seen,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters this week.

The spread of lies around natural disasters comes at a time when social media infrastructure will allow “virtually any claim” to be amplified and spread, experts say.

He Hurricane Helene left more than 200 dead and many more injured or without power, and Hurricane Milton has left at least ten dead after devastating parts of Florida.

Some frequently spread falsehoods include accusations that FEMA prevented evacuations in Florida and claims that funds for storm victims were given to undocumented migrants.

Such misinformation is “demoralizing” for first responders, Criswell said at the news conference.

Additionally, fabrications could further endanger first responders and residents of affected areas, according to Matthew Baum, a Harvard University professor who focuses on fake news and misinformation.

“When talking about life or death situations, [la desinformación] can cause people to not take advantage of the help that is available to them, and it can also be dangerous for first responders who are being accused of all kinds of wrongdoing,” Baum told the VOA. “And if first responders start worrying about their own safety, that’s going to undermine the way they do their jobs.”

Many of the other falsehoods come from former President Donald Trump’s campaign and his allies.

At an Oct. 3 rally, the former president falsely claimed that the Biden-Harris administration was diverting FEMA funds to shelter illegal migrants.

Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., claimed they “control the climate” in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. He did not specify who “they” are.

To combat popular conspiracies surrounding hurricane relief efforts, FEMA launched a website “Response to hurricane rumors” to “help correct rumors and provide accurate information,” according to a news release.

Baum, however, told the VOA that those who believe the false claims may not be influenced by the government-funded website as they are already “deep down the rabbit hole of conspiratorial thinking.”

“I don’t think the website has a significant effect, but it’s still worth doing because journalists read it and having that information available brings it into the news ecosystem,” Baum said. “But fundamentally, it’s not likely to reach many of the people who are at risk of being harmed by this misinformation.”

FEMA published a similar rumor response webpage during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

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Media expert Matt Jordan told the VOA that the vast amount of misinformation circulating is part of a “hose of bullshit” strategy, in which bad actors post so much “garbage” that people don’t know what to believe.

“It’s a way to eliminate the press’s ability to help build democratic consensus by simply putting so much trash out there,” the Penn State professor said.

US President Joe Biden said during a briefing this week that this misinformation “misleads” the public.

“It’s un-American, it really is,” he said in his comments. “People are scared to death; people know their lives are at stake.”

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