Hurricane Helene

Did U.S. Border Patrol find thousands of FEMA relief packages along the southern U.S. border in May 2025, which had been re-routed from hurricane-hit states for the benefit of undocumented immigrants? No, that's not true: That claim originated with a Facebook account that describes its content as satirical. America's Last Line of Defense is a frequent source of fake stories…

Did a North Carolina hurricane survivor seen admiring her new apartment in a widely shared video move in after President Donald Trump's return to the White House? No, that's not true: The woman moved in on January 9, 2025, two weeks before Trump took office on January 20, 2025, according to information found in the original description of the video.…

Was a large crowd shown in a viral video on X.com related to the Kamala Harris campaign? No, that's not true: The footage showed a crowd at a concert for Hurricane Helene relief. Contrary to the implication made in a social media post, the concert and the crowd had nothing to do with the 2024 U.S. presidential race. The claim…

Are armed militias hunting Federal Emergency Management Agency employees in North Carolina? No, that's not true: Although federal and local authorities acknowledged rumors about armed militias in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, no confirmed reports about such groups targeting FEMA employees exist. After pausing for what it termed a "potential threat" to its North Carolina staff, FEMA has resumed door-to-door…

Did Liz Cheney tweet questioning why people won't get more than $750 for hurricane damage, saying it's because Donald Trump won't let House Speaker Mike Johnson pass a hurricane relief bill? No, that's not true: The X account that originally posted the fake screenshot carries a disclaimer, "This account itself is not a parody but most of the images we…

Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lift a ban on illegal immigrants in the state because he needs them to clean up after hurricanes Milton and Helene? No, that's not true: There are no official statements or press releases from DeSantis indicating any changes to SB-1718, which is known as Florida's anti-illegal immigration law. No actual news reports say that DeSantis…

Is the Federal Emergency Management Agency confiscating supplies and donations for Hurricane Helene victims? No, that's not true: An agency spokesperson told Lead Stories that such accusations are "false." State and local officials in multiple Southern states that were hit by Hurricane Helene have unequivocally stated that the federal agency has not confiscated any supplies or donations. The agency does…

Did scientists at the University of Miami "admit" in 2015 that they can create real hurricanes? No, that's not true: A "CBS This Morning" news story from 2015 showed the lab and interviewed the scientists conducting the tests, which involved using a 1,700-horsepower fan to move water in a 38,000-gallon tank. Scientists did develop hurricane-like conditions in a lab setting…

Did the sky over Florida turning purple around the time of Hurricane Milton's landfall prove that HAARP manufactured the natural disaster? No, that's not true: The university responsible for HAARP has rejected such claims before. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told Lead Stories that "no technology" can "create, destroy, modify, intensify or steer hurricanes in any way, shape or…

Does a viral video montage show actual tornados and damage from Hurricane Milton in Florida in October 2024? No, that's not true: The montage is a compilation of older, unrelated clips. Some of them show signs of digital manipulation. The claim that the video depicted authentic scenes from Hurricane Milton appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on October…