Across the Southeast, false rumors and conspiracy theories are flying about Helene, which made landfall as a major hurricane about a week ago, causing at least 229 deaths in six states. The misinformation is adding to the chaos and confusion in many storm-battered communities, including many rural areas that lack power and cell service, leading locals to rely on word of mouth.
In western North Carolina this week, some residents shared false information that a dam was about to burst, prompting hundreds of people to unnecessarily evacuate and diverting the attention of first responders. In eastern Tennessee, some locals spread a hoax about federal officials seizing and bulldozing a town hall. And in many parts of the Southeast, a debunked conspiracy theory has circulated about FEMA spending disaster relief money on helping migrants who are in the country illegally.
In places with internet access, such falsehoods have flourished on social media platforms such as X. The tech company has pulled back on efforts to combat misinformation after its takeover by billionaire Elon Musk, prompting concern from many disaster experts.
Election-year politics has also played a role. Former president Donald Trump has amplified the false claim about migrants during campaign rallies and on his platform, Truth Social. And Mark Robinson, the embattled Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, has repeatedly alleged that there has been no state government response to Helene, even though Cooper has traversed the affected areas, visiting emergency operations centers and meeting with storm survivors.
"We're in an election year where misinformation and deliberate attempts to sow chaos are certainly part of the strategies being utilized," said Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, a Democratic commissioner in Buncombe County, N.C., which includes Asheville.
The Republicans and trolls intentionally doing this are scum,.... pure unadulterated scum.