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 Florida and was not expected to make landfall until late October 9, 2024.
The 61-second-long video (archived here) was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on October 8, 2024. Its caption said:
#HurricanMilton Just landed... PRAY FOR FLORIDA 🙏🏽 Hurricane Milton 🌀
This is how the post appeared at the time of writing:
(Source: X screenshot taken on Wed Oct 09 15:01:30 2024 UTC)
Text captioning on the video read:
Hurricane Milton is here.😱😱😱
From the posting time alone, at 8:38 p.m. EDT on October 8, 2024, it is clear that the video clips were misrepresented as Hurricane Milton in Florida. At 7 p.m. CDT on October 8, 2024, the National Hurricane Center released Intermediate Advisory Number 15A (archived here), which stated the location of the hurricane:
LOCATION...23.0N 86.9W
ABOUT 280 MI...450 KM WSW OF THE DRY TORTUGAS
ABOUT 440 MI...710 KM SW OF TAMPA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...165 MPH...270 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 70 DEGREES AT 10 MPH...17 KM/H
The storms pictured
The mislabeled compilation contains nine clips. The screenshots pictured below are numbered for clarity. None of these clips contains images of Hurricane Milton in Florida. Some of these clips have an unclear attribution and have circulated previously. The dates when they were posted rule out any chance they show Hurricane Milton.
1. The first video clip shows footage titled, "A tornado caused damage in Urbandale, Iowa - July 15, 2024" that was posted on YouTube.
2. This clip of a tornado in Andover, Kansas, was posted on X by CBS News on May 5, 2022.
3. Unconfirmed footage labeled as "Tsunami de Idalia 2023" was posted on TikTok by @disasters.today on November 30, 2023. Hurricane Idalia hit Florida in late August 2023.
(Source: Lead Stories composite image with X screenshots taken on Wed Oct 09 15:54:33 2024 UTC)
4. This clip appears at 44 seconds into a compilation video posted on YouTube titled, "Typhoon Storm Yagi In China....6th Sep,2024."
5. Reverse image searches did not return a clear source for this clip.
6. This yellow building swamped by waves appears 12 seconds into a video about Hurricane Helene that was posted on X on September 27, 2024.
(Source: Lead Stories composite image with X screenshots taken on Wed Oct 09 15:54:33 2024 UTC)
7. On September 7, 2024, this footage of shipping containers blown over during a typhoon in the port of Hải Phòng in Vietnam was posted on X.
8. A video posted on YouTube on October 15, 2023, shows the metal roof of a building in Sumaré, São Paulo, Brazil, that was torn off by strong winds.
9. This scene of palm trees blowing near a high-rise, titled, "Hurricane Michael Makes Landfall," has appeared in the Adobe Stock catalog since 2021. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida.
Other Lead Stories fact checks of claims about Hurricane Milton can be read here; our fact checks about other 2024 hurricanes are here. More Lead Stories fact checks of claims about weather can be found here.
