In recent days, false claims have spread on social media, according to which the US administration caused Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida with the help of secret technology.
For example, on messaging service X and video service Tiktok, numerous accounts claim, without evidence, that the US government is secretly manipulating the weather.
Such contents have received millions of views.
Conspiracy theorists claim that the US administration created the hurricanes and directed them into Republican states like Florida and North Carolina to influence the November presidential election.
Hurricane Milton hit Florida early Thursday morning Finnish time. A couple of weeks ago, Hurricane Helene caused destruction in North Carolina and Florida. More than 200 people died.
According to baseless claims, the purpose of using the imaginary weather weapon would be to stop the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s election victory.
According to social media accounts, hurricanes are supposed to cause destruction that prevents physical voting at polling stations.
In this way, the authorities could appeal to the situation and order a postal vote, which, according to the conspiracy theory, would allow election fraud for the Democratic candidate Horrible Harris for.
Matti Huutonen: It is not possible
Artificial creation or control of hurricanes and other cyclones is completely impossible, says ‘s meteorologist Matti Huutonen.
In the United States, meteorologists have even received death threats and been bombarded with disinformation because of conspiracy theories, says Rolling Stone magazine.
According to the newspaper, meteorologists now receive a lot of messages in their e-mails, which claim that the government can control the weather and that meteorologists are hiding this information.
Washington meteorologist Matthew Cappucci told Rolling Stone that points of view that were once considered strange fringe ideas have suddenly become mainstream.
– People are right in the yard. It makes me lose faith in humanity, Cappucci said.
The weather gun is an old conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theories related to the imaginary weather weapon are not new in themselves.
There have been unsubstantiated claims circulating on the Internet for years, according to which governments use the equipment of the HAARP research project maintained by the University of Alaska to modify the weather or cause natural disasters.
HAARP uses high-frequency equipment to probe the upper atmosphere. The project was administered by the US Armed Forces between 1990 and 2014.
– HAARP does not create, modify or manipulate a hurricane, HAARP’s spokesperson told the news agency Reuters.
HAARP has no connection with the formation of hurricanes such as Helen and Milton, the head of the NOAA laboratory of the US Federal Weather and Ocean Research Agency also said Howard Diamond for Reuters.
– HAARP or any other facility cannot affect hurricanes. Humans do not have the technology to create, destroy, modify, amplify or direct hurricanes in any way, Diamond said.
Among the spreaders, a Republican congressman
One of the most prominent purveyors of weather control conspiracy theories is a Georgia state congressman, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. He is a Trump supporter.
– Climate change is the new Covid. Ask your government if the weather can be manipulated or controlled. Did you give them permission to do that? Are you paying for it? Of course you pay, Greene wrote on X on his official account on October 8.
In his messages, Greene has not directly accused the government of using a weather weapon, but he has hinted in that direction.
– Yes, they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous to lie and say it can’t be done, Greene wrote on X on his personal account on October 4.
Greene did not specify who he means by “them”.
The day before, Greene had shared a map on X of the areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Most of the map was marked in red, indicating the Republican support area.
President Joe Biden commented Wednesday on the spread of disinformation and Greene’s outlandish claims that the federal government controls the weather.
– This is beyond ridiculous. It has to stop, Biden said.
At the same time, some Republican politicians are also trying to combat the spread of false information.
Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that by posting garbage on social media, you can get many people to share the content and thus benefit financially from the lies.
– Be careful about the spreading gossip. Be aware that the more ticklish it is, the more likely someone will make money from it. They don’t care about the well-being and safety of the people in the eye of the storm, DeSantis said, according to Politico.
Politicians argue about grants
According to US authorities, the spread of disinformation has already begun to hinder rescue efforts.
Director of the US Emergency Management Agency, FEMA Deanne Criswell said Tuesday, according to Politico, that the conspiracy theories now targeting the agency are the worst he’s seen.
Republican Donald Trump has claimed that the president Joe Biden the administration would have diverted disaster relief funds to unauthorized migrants.
FEMA has denied Trump’s claim on its fact-checking page.
Democrat Kamala Harris has also called Trump’s claims exceptionally irresponsible.
Harris said the former president is pushing a lot of misinformation and disinformation about what kind of help is available for Hurricane Helene victims.
– This is about him, not you. In reality, FEMA has a lot of resources for people who desperately need them, Harris said, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters