Hurricane Helene

Is the conspiracy theory that hurricanes are planned or controlled supported by Amazon's Alexa supposedly revealing the death toll and damage amount from Hurricane Milton days before the storm even made landfall? No, that's not true: An Amazon spokesperson told Lead Stories "These answers are clearly incorrect and we are working to resolve this issue". Shortly afterwards Alexa started responding,…

Is a dramatic photo of a tearful young girl in a boat clutching a puppy after Hurricane Helene real? No, that's not true: The AI detector TrueMedia found "substantial evidence" that the image was created using an AI image generator. There is also no evidence the photo appeared in any news coverage about the rescue efforts after the storm nor…

Did singer Kid Rock bring millions of dollars in supplies to North Carolina for disaster recovery shortly after Hurricane Helene? No, that's not true: The website that reported on this has a satire disclaimer and is known for publishing made-up stories. The website's About Us page says, "Everything on this website is fiction." The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Has a hurricane never before formed in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Milton's original location, then tracked eastward to Florida? No, that's not true: At least 10 recorded hurricanes including Milton have formed in the Gulf and moved eastward since the 19th century, according to the government's hurricane tracking records. Lead Stories found records of hurricanes following that pattern as…

Were 200 or as many as 2,000 people found stranded after Hurricane Helene in a church in Candler, North Carolina, after six days without food? No, that's not true: The communications and public engagement director for that county told Lead Stories, "This is unequivocally untrue." Churches in the area are acting as distribution points for emergency supplies. The meme that…

Did FEMA aircraft block a runway at the Greenville, South Carolina, airport on October 5, 2024, preventing civilian disaster aid from reaching Hurricane Helene victims and "stopping help"? No, that's not true: While an airport representative said a FEMA contractor did stage their operations on a secondary, "infrequently used" runway there, civilian assistance flights continued on the main runway. "FEMA…

Was the Army's 82nd Airborne Division not deployed to help Hurricane Helene victims as of October 3, 2024, as a post on Instagram Threads claimed? No, that's not true: President Joe Biden announced the immediate deployment of 1,000 active-duty troops on October 2, 2024, which included troops from the 82nd Airborne Division. It also included other units from Fort Liberty,…

Does a policy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency direct it to help "white people last" in 2024? No, that's not true: The document mentioning FEMA's "equity" goal cited on social media as proof says nothing about that. The agency has denied such accusations multiple times. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Threads on October 4, 2024.…

Is the $750 in initial federal aid to Hurricane Helene victims a loan that must be paid back or people's property could be seized? No, that's not true: The $750, which comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Serious Needs Assistance program, is a grant, not a loan, and does not need to be repaid. Additionally, the agency's website states…

Does the closure of airspace in North Carolina for the visits of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris halt the Hurricane Helene rescue missions? No, that's not true: A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told Lead Stories that pilots involved in "aid and assistance" for hurricane recovery can fly through restricted areas if they plan the flight with air…