Hurricane Helene brews up storm of online falsehoods and threats

8 October 2024

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and public officials have faced a deluge of antisemitic hate and threats in the wake of Hurricane Helene, as mis- and disinformation about the government response has spread at scale across mainstream social media platforms, in particular X. 

The situation exemplifies a wider trend: increasingly, a broad collection of conspiracy groups, extremist movements, political and commercial interests, and at times hostile states, coalesce around crises to further their agendas through online falsehoods, division and hate. They exploit social media moderation failures, gaming their algorithmic systems, and often produce dangerous real-world effects.   

In late September, a Category 4 storm – Hurricane Helene – hit the southeastern United States, causing widespread damage and hundreds of fatalities. Misinformation about the incident began to spread as soon as Helene made landfall. Faced with an onslaught of false and misleading claims, some of which threatened the effectiveness of aid provision and management, FEMA launched a dedicated ‘Rumour Response’ page. Public officials, including from the affected areas, have also weighed in to engage those spreading mis- and disinformation. Despite these efforts, many debunked narratives continue to gain traction online, alongside a mix of veiled and overt threats against those involved in the response. This content is reaching millions of people and, in some instances, poses a credible risk to public safety. 

This Dispatch outlines how falsehoods about Hurricane Helene and its aftermath have spread across social media platforms, providing a snapshot of the misinformation, hate, and abuse proliferated by a range of actors. This includes politicians, influencers, and various accounts pushing election conspiracies and misinformation after the 2020 US vote.

Key Findings

• On X (formerly Twitter), analysts found that 33 posts containing claims debunked by FEMA, the White House and the US government had together generated more than 160 million views as of October 7. 
• 30% of the posts on X contained overt antisemitic hate, including abuse directed at public officials such as the Mayor of Asheville, North Carolina; the FEMA Director of Public Affairs; and the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. These collectively garnered 17.1 million views as of October 7.
• Some of the largest accounts sharing falsehoods about the hurricane response – including those with more than 2 million followers – have actively engaged with other forms of mis- and disinformation and hate. This includes anti-migrant conspiracies, false claims of electoral fraud, and antisemitic discourse around the so-called ‘Great Replacement.’ Their role as amplifiers here reveals how diverse groups converge on moments of crisis to co-opt the news cycle and launder their positions to a wider or mainstream audience.  
• There is clear crossover between networks primarily engaged in climate denialism and delayism (as covered in prior ISD research), and other extremist groups, conspiracy movements, and spreaders of hate speech online. We found a mutually-reinforcing dynamic between accounts spreading misinformation about Hurricane Helene, and those pushing false claims around Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, the integrity of recent US elections, Jewish American citizens, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 
• Falsehoods around hurricane response have spawned credible threats and incitement to violence directed at the federal government – this includes calls to send militias to face down FEMA for the perceived denial of aid, and that individuals would “shoot” FEMA officials and the agency’s emergency responders.
• The federal government has created webpages debunking viral mis- and disinformation in an effort to restore clear lines of communication with the public and avoid any further disruption to the emergency response. The same actors described above have sought to reframe this effort as proof of a government cover-up, supposedly designed to quell “free speech.” They claim this is organized by Mossad (the Israeli state intelligence agency), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and undefined “Jewish interests.”  
• Research accounts used by ISD were automatically served antisemitic posts on X after viewing three posts in the dataset that implied there was Jewish control of government agencies such as FEMA. The recommended content included posts claiming America was in danger due to Jewish control of institutions, as well as posts about the nose sizes of figures in public office.  

As we approach another highly contentious US Presidential election, this analysis reveals some of the acute risks faced online, including radicalisation to violence. In the sections below, we outline the forms of mis- and disinformation around Hurricane Helene and their respective engagement across platforms. 

FEMA Falsely Accused of Confiscating Property  

ISD found widespread misinformation regarding the conditions under which FEMA provides aid to hurricane victims. Much of the content spread numerous false claims around the $750 relief assistance offered by the agency. This includes several high-traction accounts who claimed the assistance is a loan, by which the government can act as “loan sharks” and seize private property. One TikTok video states: “To my North Carolina families, please, I know it’s hard but PLEASE do NOT take that 750 dollars, it’s a loan and if you don’t pay It back they WILL seize your property.” In response, FEMA has clearly stated that “FEMA cannot seize your property or land. Applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.” 

Notably, some users are weaponizing confusion over FEMA’s activities to profiteer from victims searching for accurate information. On TikTok, one video boasting over a million views attempts to sell a manual via the TikTok shop with a section on “ingenious ways to outfox FEMA in the next crisis.” Advice includes “when talking to neighbors or FEMA employees, complain about how hungry and thirsty you are” and “when outside act like you have no energy and are suffering…If you look like a victim, FEMA will treat you like a victim and be unlikely to raid your home looking for supplies.”

Federal and Local Officials Face Threats and Antisemitic Hate  

Falsehoods around hurricane response have spawned credible threats and incitement to violence directed at the federal government – this includes calls to send militias to face down FEMA for the perceived denial of aid, or to shoot and/or harm FEMA officials and the agency’s emergency responders. Much of this rhetoric was blended with overt antisemitism, as well as antisemitic dog-whistles about the faiths of local and federal officials.  

Bearing the brunt of such attacks was Jaclyn Rothenberg, the director for public affairs at FEMA. In various posts she was described as “ZIONIST JEWS AT THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL,” a “traitor,” and an Israeli “psyoper” who was denying Americans funds “so that her people over in Israel could conduct a genocide and drag the rest of us into a world war to make her people more powerful.” Posts questioning Rothenberg’s loyalty to the country based on her Jewish heritage racked up more than 4 million views in just 24 hours starting on October 4.  

When Rothenberg attempted to protect her personal account on X from the abuse, which seemingly peaked on October 4 and 5, she faced further attacks. This abuse came even though her verified government account remained open and accessible. One user on X responded with a thinly veiled antisemitic slur, posting “I thought gov’t accounts couldn’t be protected. She thinks she can hide behind her nose.”  

Other local officials also faced antisemitic hate. The Mayor of Asheville, NC – Esther Manheimer – was called out for her faith, with one antisemitic post generating more than 12.8 million views on X. In the comments users insinuated that Manheimer was part of a larger plot, in which she and others were “slowly and methodically taking over territory by territory every year, local government, school boards, county, state government, local courts, the appellate courts, and finally the federal government at almost every level.” Another user stated, “notice how they all have a tiny hat, and truly hates [sic] America.” 

The Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security – Alejandro Mayorkas – faced similar antisemitic attacks and threats alongside FEMA personnel. One post on X named and included photos of officials from FEMA linking them to being Jewish, with the caption “2 kinds of people in this world–those who can read this chart, and those who notice this chart;” it had generated 385,000 views by the time of writing on 7 October. The post was intended to highlight Jewish control of government agencies and triggered numerous antisemitic comments in the thread after it was posted. The poster called on others to share the image with a caption: “No wonder FEMA is so slow to help rural White Americans!” Users flooded the comments with statements including: “So DHS is just basically a talmudic patronage club mostly replacing Whites with infinity browns when they bother to do anything competently at all,” as well as an image of Adolf Hitler’s face.  

Threats also included calls for surveillance of National Fusion Centers in North- and South Carolina. High-traction posts alleged that these centers were involved in “intelligence gathering” against non-government groups and individuals attempting to deliver aid to affected areas.  

Notably, unverified claims about attacks on FEMA representatives have been used to glorify and encourage violence. One such claim involved the supposed “beating” of a FEMA director in North Carolina, generating more than 8.1 million views, and was quickly seized upon by other users. A video from 2023 showing a woman attacked outside a nightclub was falsely spread as ‘proof’ of the incident. One post on X citing this video generated more than 267,000 views. Although a Community Note was soon added fact-checking the footage, it continued to gain traction. Some users shared it as a ‘warning’ to federal officials reportedly denying aid, including one post that stated “just starting beat the shit out FEMA obstructing rescue efforts [sic]” and another exclaiming “please be true.”  

‘FEMA Doesn’t Have Enough Funds’ 

Misrepresentation of FEMA’s current financial resources have also spread widely, alongside false conspiracies regarding foreign aid and the allocation of disaster relief funding. As per public documents that detail federal budget breakdowns per agency, Congress approved 20 billion dollars for FEMA’s disaster relief fund which may not be reallocated elsewhere and are available through December 20, 2024. Separate (and notably smaller) budgets such as the Shelter and Services Program were approved and can be amended by Congress as it deems necessary.  

Despite these facts, narratives claiming FEMA does not have the necessary funds due to aid directed towards Ukraine, the Middle East and/or immigrants have proliferated online. Attempts at fact-checking by mainstream outlets have been met with derision – for example, one post on X with 847,000 views that stated “Yes, FEMA took funds and used them for migrants. No, the media is not telling you the truth. No, I do not need to see articles from the Washington Post.” 

‘FEMA’s Rumor Response is a Cover-Up’ 

Faced with the viral narratives and threats described above, FEMA launched a dedicated page on its website to address rumors. A similar initiative was set up during Hurricane Ida, when the agency oversaw a page called “myth versus fact.” The latest, Helene-specific page was widely panned by users on X who referred to it as an “op” and “lies” by the federal government to cover-up their incompetency and corruption. One post directly alleged that all arms of the federal government, along with the media, were “lying” about the Hurricane response.  

Responses to the page and its content led to further attacks on FEMA director, Jaclyn Rothenberg. These included claims that Rothenberg and FEMA are an arm of the state of Israel, that FEMA was intentionally involved in “crimes against humanity,” and antisemitic posts that “Jews are not to be trusted with the safety of Whites.”  

‘They Control the Weather’  

One of the most viewed and patently false statements was shared by sitting US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggesting that the Democrats can “control the weather.” Her post spawned numerous copies of the same sentiment across the platform. It was preceded by accounts who insinuated hurricanes are “man-made” and could “be created and sent along a very specific path using specific frequencies,” according to one September 27 post that generated 34,200 views on X. Posts about weather control have been a mainstay in QAnon communities and generally stem from the science around cloud seeding. 

Greene’s ‘control the weather’ claim was among various posts she shared in response to Hurricane Helene; in others she claimed the hurricane was specifically targeting states that are majority Republican. The original post was viewed more than 41.5 million times. Greene later responded to the backlash and repeated debunks, stating “anyone who says they don’t [control the weather], or makes fun of this, is lying to you.” This follow-up garnered a further 2.1 million views.  

Such content builds on various claims Greene made during the California wildfires in 2018, including that such events were caused by “lasers”. None of the posts analyzed had been debunked or fact-checked by Community Notes on X. 

Platform Failures Lead to Chaos  

With X refraining to utilize external fact checking organizations, it is more critical than ever that the primary remaining intervention for correcting harmful, false statements – community notes – function effectively and at speed. As with other unfolding events, X remains the first port of call for many in times of crises, placing a heightened responsibility on the platform to not facilitate the proliferation of false information that could negatively impact victims’ ability to access critical aid.  

Yet, the majority of posts featuring false narratives identified by ISD on the platform, many with millions of views, did not have a community note applied. Without a community notes feature that can keep up with the deluge of false, harmful information during a crisis event, X has few options to provide factual options or stop the spread of this content. Other mainstream platforms have policies in place which allow for the removal of false content that could cause real-world, imminent harm in times of crises; X appears to have no such policy. This may further embolden actors who may be intentionally disseminating false information to take advantage of victims for commercial gain, or to push a narrative-based agenda.  

Hurricane Response – A Harbinger for Further Chaos  

The speed and impact of the falsehoods and half-truths in the wake of the Hurricane Helene response illustrate just how unprepared platforms, government and the media are for the deluge of misinformation, hate and violent threats that will come in the wake of a contentious event. Alarmingly, and for the first time ever recorded in October, there are currently three active hurricanes simultaneously active across the Atlantic. ISD analysts have observed these incoming weather events as already being used to perpetuate the same false narratives, with one X post indicative of this broader trend stating, “the Biden Harris administration are sending Hurricane Milton to the remaining Trump strongholds ahead of the 2024 presidential elections to finish the job.”  

While the hurricane response is just another case study of platform failures, it also illustrates how rumors will be weaponized in the future by partisan influencers. The narratives flourishing in the wake of the hurricane are not new, but a continuation of a steady drip of falsehoods that challenge reality for the sake of political points and advantage in an upcoming election. Washed away in the deluge of falsehoods is any trust in the government and media.  

The link between the viral spread of disinformation and real-world harms has been documented in a wide range of instances, along with the risk of platform over-moderation in crises. Beyond the spread of outright falsehoods that can lead to harm, we have also documented the proliferation of targeted hate and direct threats of violence, which violate the stated policies of the platforms. Together, this poses a complex set of challenges in terms of government and platform response.