How Helene’s social media conspiracy theory is harming disaster relief efforts

In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in the United States this week, a new storm has erupted on social media – false rumors about how disaster funds have been spent, even claims that officials are controlling the weather.

State and local government officials say they are trying to combat rumors, including those being spread about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

One of the most far-fetched rumors is that Helene was a hurricane created to allow companies to mine the region’s lithium deposits. Some have accused President Joe Biden’s administration of using federal disaster funds to help illegal immigrants, or suggested officials are intentionally leaving bodies in the cleanup.

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X Thursday night: “Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous that someone would lie and say it won’t happen.”

The conspiracy theories come at a critical time for rescue and relief efforts following the storm, one of America’s deadliest hurricanes this century. And the presidential election between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is more than a month away.

Republicans and Democrats alike say rumors are causing problems.

“I just talked to a Senator with 15 calls TODAY about why we don’t stop……. ‘fill in the blank,'” said Kevin Corbin, a Republican in the North Carolina Senate – a state that is one of the states. Helene was very smitten. “There’s a 98% chance it’s not true and if it’s a problem, someone knows about it,” he wrote on Facebook.

“I’m tired of being deliberately interrupted,” he added.

White House officials on Friday accused some Republican leaders and the conservative media of deliberately peddling rumors to divide Americans in a way that could harm disaster relief efforts.

“Disinformation of this nature can discourage people from seeking critical care when they need it most,” the White House memo said. “It is important that every leader, regardless of their political beliefs, stop spreading this poison.”

The memo highlighted Trump’s claim during a rally this week that Biden and Harris spent emergency funds “on people who shouldn’t be in our country.”

“This is FALSE,” the memo said. “No disaster relief funding has been used for housing support and services for immigrants. Nothing. In. Everything.”

In response to a request for comment for this article, the Trump campaign repeated allegations that FEMA funds were used to help illegal immigrants.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has funds for immediate response and recovery efforts after Helene, the White House memo said, and has provided millions of dollars to help those recovering.

FEMA has been the target of so many falsehoods that it has created a rumor response page on its website to try to dispel them.

Helene slammed into Florida last week and killed more than 200 people and devastated a dozen states in the American Southeast.

Some officials are trying to combat disinformation themselves on social media. Katie Keaotamai, who works at FEMA but said she was speaking on social media as a private person, described FEMA’s disaster response procedures in a TikTok post with thousands of views.

Disasters are often politicized, said Kate Starbird, founder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, adding that social media rewards “anger and outrage with attention.”

“Exploiting the sensation-making process (eg spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation) and politicizing the event will make it difficult to respond and recover now – and to make informed decisions about how to prepare and mitigate next,” Starbird said.

— Stephanie Kelly, Reuters