Hurricane Milton Wreaks Havoc on Tampa, Fuels Misinformation Crisis

TL/DR –

Hurricane Milton hit Tampa, Florida, causing considerable damage and flooding. Amidst recovery efforts, government officials are trying to combat misinformation, including conspiracy theories that the Democratic government can control the weather and target specific states with hurricanes. To address these rumors and false narratives, the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a “Hurricane Rumor Response” page with accurate information about the hurricane and the response efforts.

With Hurricane Milton being the second major storm in two weeks, officials are battling misinformation ranging from emergency funds to weather control.

Conspiracy theories suggesting the Democratic government is manipulating the weather are surfacing, fueled by social media posts from politicians like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Despite firm debunking of these claims by fact-checkers, these theories are leading to death threats against meteorologists, reported by Rolling Stone.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, amidst the disinformation spread, has launched a “Hurricane Rumor Response” page. Deanne Criswell, the agency’s administrator, noted that misinformation harms affected people and on-field volunteers.

False claims by Donald Trump and Kamala Harris that FEMA doesn’t have hurricane relief funds because it has been spent on illegal immigrants have been branded as “extraordinarily irresponsible,” reported by The Associated Press.

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