Hurricane Misinformation Floods Social Media as Engagement Trumps Truth

A tidal wave of misinformation surrounding Hurricanes Helene and Milton has spread across social media platforms with unprecedented speed and scale, creating confusion during critical disaster response efforts and highlighting fundamental problems with today’s online ecosystem.

False claims about the recent hurricanes have proliferated widely, ranging from skepticism about legitimate forecasts and rescue operations to entirely fabricated narratives. Among the most politically charged falsehoods was the claim—repeated by former President Donald Trump—that hurricane relief funds were being diverted to migrants who entered the U.S. illegally.

Visual misinformation has been particularly rampant, with AI-generated images of children fleeing devastation, repurposed footage from previous storms, and computer-generated videos all being shared as authentic documentation of the current disasters. Perhaps most concerning are conspiracy theories asserting that the government is manipulating or “geo-engineering” the weather, a claim amplified by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene last week on X (formerly Twitter) when she stated: “Yes they can control the weather.”

Analysis reveals that most viral misinformation originates from accounts with blue verification checkmarks and established histories of promoting conspiracy theories. Many of these same accounts previously shared posts suggesting that elections, political violence, the pandemic, and wars were staged or manipulated in some way.

Changes to X’s verification system under Elon Musk’s ownership have exacerbated the problem. What once signified a vetted, authentic account now merely indicates a paid subscription. The platform’s algorithm gives these accounts greater visibility, while its revenue-sharing policy allows blue-tick users to profit from engagement, regardless of content accuracy.

“This has incentivized some users to share whatever will go viral—however untrue,” explained a social media researcher tracking the phenomenon. Several account holders acknowledged in private messages that they deliberately share attention-grabbing content to boost engagement and revenue.

While most major social platforms allow content monetization, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook maintain guidelines to demonetize or suspend accounts spreading misinformation. X has dismantled much of its misinformation infrastructure, removing the ability for users to report misleading information while maintaining only limited safeguards like its Community Notes feature.

The hurricane misinformation problem extends beyond X. False narratives often migrate to comment sections on other platforms, creating an ecosystem-wide contamination effect. One influencer who regularly shares unproven theories noted that while her conspiracy content faced significant pushback four years ago, today “nearly every comment is in agreement” with her hurricane-related conspiracy claims.

The real-world implications are significant. Misinformation undermines trust in authorities during complex disaster operations when coordination and compliance are crucial. The Institute of Strategic Dialogue found that fewer than three dozen false or abusive posts about the hurricanes reached 160 million views on X alone—a scale of reach unprecedented in previous natural disasters.

The approaching U.S. presidential election has added a sharper political edge to these falsehoods. Many viral posts originate from pro-Trump accounts and specifically target foreign aid and immigration policies. Some even accuse relief workers of “treason” for allegedly participating in fabricated plots.

“The anger and distrust this fosters risks inhibiting efforts on the ground,” warned a disaster response coordinator. “It also undermines wider faith in government systems and overshadows legitimate criticism of hurricane response efforts.”

At its core, this proliferation of misinformation stems from social media algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy. Conspiracy theories, false claims, and inflammatory content can reach hundreds of thousands before being identified as untrue—and those sharing them are rewarded with views, likes, followers, and financial compensation.

As rescue and recovery efforts continue in hurricane-affected areas, the spread of misinformation represents a secondary disaster—one happening in the digital realm but with very real consequences for those seeking accurate information during times of crisis.