False rumors and conspiracy theories are spreading rapidly in the Southeast in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit as a major storm about a week ago, causing at least 229 deaths in six states. This wave of misinformation is spurring chaos and confusion, particularly in the hardest-hit communities, many of which are rural and still without power or cellular service. With limited access to reliable information, locals are increasingly relying on word of mouth, making it ever more difficult to debunk the spreading of fake news.
This is precisely why officials are now working to counter the spread of misinformation circulating online. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has regularly updated a webpage aimed at debunking common rumors, while the North Carolina Department of Public Safety has addressed the issue, stating that authorities are “working around the clock to save lives and provide humanitarian aid”.
In a press release issued Saturday, FEMA reported that federal aid exceeded $110 million. The agency also outlined that more than 700 FEMA personnel were on the ground in North Carolina, along with more than 1,200 search and rescue workers. In addition, the Army was preparing to bolster active-duty military relief, with plans to send 500 more U.S. troops, other than those already authorized by President Joe Biden.
VP Kamala Harris arrived in Charlotte Saturday afternoon, where she was welcomed by local officials, including North Carolina Democrat Governor Roy Cooper and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. In her brief speech, Harris announced that Mecklenburg County would be part of the major disaster declaration.
Speaking of misleading news, this week in western North Carolina, false rumors of an impending dam collapse prompted hundreds of residents to evacuate unnecessarily, diverting the attention of first responders. Meanwhile, in East Tennessee, locals spread a false theory alleging that federal officials seized and razed a city hall. In much of the Southeast, a conspiracy theory circulated, also later debunked, that FEMA was relocating disaster relief funds to help immigrants who were in the country illegally.
In areas with Internet access, these deceptions have spread widely on social media platforms such as X. Since its acquisition by tech guru Elon Musk, the company has scaled back its efforts to combat misinformation, raising worries among disaster experts about the potential impact on public safety during emergency situations so far.
“There’s always misinformation that flows during disasters, but after Helene, it is really difficult to find good and accurate information,” claimed Sam Montano, disaster expert and assistant professor of emergency management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
He then added that: “When Musk bought Twitter, there were many of us in the disaster space who warned that there would likely be changes that would make the platform less useful during disasters, and I think that we’re seeing that manifest now”.
Election-year politics also bolstered the spread of misinformation. In fact former President Donald Trump amplified untrue claims about migrants during his campaign rallies and on his Truth Social media. Simultaneously, Mark Robinson, GOP candidate for North Carolina governor, has repeatedly claimed that state government has done almost nothing in response to Hurricane Helene, despite Governor Roy Cooper’s visits to affected areas, emergency operations centers and meetings with storm survivors.
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, a Democratic commissioner from Buncombe County, N.C. remarked: “We’re in an election year where misinformation and deliberate attempts to sow chaos are certainly part of the strategies being utilized”.
Even North Carolina Republican State Senator Kevin Corbin exposed the widespread disinformation Thursday in a Facebook post, calling out several GOP colleagues.
“Friends can I ask a small favor? Will you all help STOP this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in WNC”.
