Hurricane 2024

Do viral images authentically capture the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Milton at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida? No, that's not true: Those pictures were generated by AI and first posted on a website with a satire label. On October 11, 2024, Disney announced it had reopened its theme parks. The claim appeared in a video (archived here)…

Does a National Hurricane Center tracking map show a new storm heading for Florida immediately after Hurricane Milton hit in early October 2024? No, that's not true: The Center's "Atlantic Tropical Cyclones and Disturbances" map shows no storm setting its sights on the Sunshine State. Instead, the image on social media is an old map from November 2022. The claim…

Does a video show two active tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in Florida during Hurricane Milton's landfall in October 2024? No, that's not true: The video on X shows two active tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in Nebraska in 2014. The person who made the video confirmed that the tornado sightings were recorded in Pilger, Nebraska, in 2014 in a…

Does a viral video show "two large tornado producing supercells" in southern Florida on October 9, 2024, just before Hurricane Milton's landfall? No, that's not true: The video is a compilation of digitally created visuals and footage that date back years and months before Milton. No clips in the video were recorded in October 2024. The claim appeared in a…

Does a video clip show a speaker saying, "We should focus our efforts on LGBTQIA people" during a disaster preparedness meeting by the Federal Emergency Management Agency? No, that's not true: This was a 2023 panel event, not a "disaster preparedness meeting." According to transcripts the statement about LGBTQIA focus didn't come up in the clip or in the longer…

Does a video shared on Facebook genuinely show underwater HAARP devices surrounding Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall? No, that's not true: The video shows a coral restoration project in the Florida Keys, two marine scientists told Lead Stories. The antenna-like objects seen in the video are part of that coral reef rehabilitation project. A version of the claim…

Does a video show "twin tornadoes" hitting Miami at the same time Hurricane Milton did? No, that's not true: This video footage was taken in August 2024, not October 2024 when Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. Also, the columns seen in the video are waterspouts, not tornadoes, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Finally, this video was…

Does a video circulating on social media in October 2024 show a Florida bridge jammed with cars during Hurricane Milton? No, that's not true: The clip shows vehicles backed up on a bridge in Mumbai, India -- not Florida. It appeared on social media during Mumbai's floods in September 2024. The claim appeared in video on TikTok (archived here) on…

Does a compilation of storm video clips on social media show Hurricane Milton? No, that's not true: A collection of video clips using the hashtag #HurricanMilton shows storm footage from around the world that dates back months and even years. The clickbait compilation was posted on social media on October 8, 2024, when Hurricane Milton was over 400 miles from…

Did "NC State police" issue a statement saying that they will start arresting any federal employees trying to "stop or hinder rescue operations"? No, that's not true: A public information officer for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol denounced the claim, calling it "made-up" and "completely unfactual." Lead Stories did not find any evidence of such a statement on the…