Successive hurricanes that brought death and devastation to parts of the South were made worse by a variety of false and misleading information, some of which is still circulating despite being conclusively proven false.

In the final weeks of a closely contested presidential election, the false information became political fodder, particularly in swing states that were hit hard Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton. Former President Donald Trump spread a litany of false claims at campaign rallies and on social media, with his supporters helping to give the information a voice.

Federal, state and local officials, including several Republicans, condemned the false information, noting that it had made it more difficult to address the needs of those injured by the hurricanes.

Here's a look at the facts behind some of the most widespread misinformation.

The government cannot create or manage hurricanes

CLAIM: The government used weather technology to trigger Hurricanes Helene and Milton, specifically targeting Republican voters.

THE FACTS: Both were hurricanes natural phenomena. Humans do not have the technology to control such vast weather systems. Hurricanes hit many of the same areas as they have for centuries.

According to Chris Landsea, head of tropical analysis at the National Hurricane Center, fully developed hurricanes release enormous amounts of thermal energy – the equivalent of a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes.

“If meteorologists could stop hurricanes, we would stop hurricanes,” said Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany. “If we could control the weather, we wouldn’t want the kind of death and destruction that happened.”

Historic Hurricane Control Efforts have failed. For example, between the 1960s and 1980s, the federal government toyed with the idea of ​​making storms bigger but weaker. But tests were inconclusive and researchers realized that if they made storms more intense, they would put more people at risk. An attempt by General Electric and the U.S. military in 1947 to have Air Force planes drop dry ice into the path of a hurricane to weaken it also failed.

Following Helene, the federal government was wrongly accused of failing to react

CLAIM: The federal government failed to respond to Hurricane Helene and intentionally withheld aid to victims in Republican areas.

THE FACTS: Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, actively supported Recovery efforts.

Biden approved major disaster declarations Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee And VirginiaThis gives survivors access to funds and resources to immediately boost their recovery. The White House announced that the president spoke by telephone with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on September 29; North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper; Scott Matheson, Mayor of Valdosta, Georgia, and John Louk, Florida Emergency Management Director. Kemp confirmed on Sept. 30 that he had spoken to Biden the night before and that the state had gotten everything it needed.

Harris visited FEMA headquarters in Washington on September 30. She called Helene's devastation “heartbreaking” and vowed that she and Biden would ensure affected communities “get what they need to recover.”

The President and Vice President have both I was in the areas affected by Helene.

Federal officials have no plans to seize some of the hardest-hit communities

CLAIM: The federal government plans to seize and raze some particularly hard-hit communities like Chimney Rock, North Carolina, and prevent residents from rebuilding on their own property.

THE FACTS: According to local officials, that's not true. Shortly after Chimney Rock was devastated by the Helene floods, posts began circulating on social media claiming that the federal government planned to seize all of the community's property through eminent domain and allow residents to return or rebuild refuse. Some versions of the claim suggested that authorities would not even allow residents to retrieve the bodies of storm victims, or that communities would be seized as part of a federal plan to seize control of valuable lithium mines nearby.

Right-wing extremists and white supremacist groups seized on the claim on platforms like Telegram, attempting to link false claims about the lithium mines to efforts to combat climate change by promoting electric vehicles whose batteries use lithium. Officials from both parties who represent the area and are overseeing recovery efforts said none of this is true.

FEMA cannot arbitrarily seize private property or condemn entire communities, and the federal government has no plans to seize mines or force entire towns to relocate.

“I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please be sure to verify the facts you read online with a reputable source,” U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, a North Carolina Republican, wrote in a letter to his constituents Message debunking several viral claims about the storm.

FEMA's $750 assistance is a starting point for those in need. It doesn't have to be paid back

CLAIM: Hurricane survivors will only receive a $750 loan from FEMA, which will confiscate their land if they don't pay it back.

THE FACTS: That's not true. Keith Turi, acting director of FEMA's Office of Response and Recovery, said that number refers to the assistance the agency can give someone in an affected area for immediate needs such as clothing or food.

FEMA wrote The Hurricane Rumor Response page says such payments are called “Serious Needs Assistance” and can be used while the agency is evaluating an applicant’s eligibility for additional funds.

The maximum amount for initial Serious Needs Assistance increased to $770 on October 1st. Serious Needs Assistance is a grant does not have to be repaid. Jaclyn Rothenberg, a FEMA spokeswoman, confirmed in an X post that the agency “is not asking for this money back.”

Certain FEMA grants The amount may need to be paid back, although this is less common. For example, if a survivor receives duplicate benefits from an insurance company or other source.

FEMA is not short of hurricane assistance because it has been used for other purposes

CLAIM: FEMA does not have enough money for hurricane victims because it is being used to support illegal immigrants in the country or to provide foreign funding to Israel and Ukraine.

THE FACTS: This is wrong. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday on MSNBC“There is enough money in my budget – the Disaster Relief Fund – to continue relief efforts for Hurricanes Helene and Milton.” She added that the agency needs to estimate how much money is left to continue recovery projects and respond to future storms in this area respond to the season.

FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is replenished each year by Congress and is used to finance recovery from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other disasters. Congress recently replenished the fund with $20 billion – the same amount FEMA received last year. About $8 billion of that is earmarked for recovery from previous storms and mitigation projects. It separately funds foreign military aid.

No money from the FEMA fund has been diverted to support border issues or international concerns and will only be used for disaster relief. according to the agency.

The helicopter that was distributing supplies around a North Carolina distribution center was attempting to make a delivery

CLAIM: The federal government is flying unmarked helicopters into Hurricane Helene staging areas and intentionally destroying relief supplies intended for victims in Western North Carolina.

THE FACTS: These claims are based on a video that showed a helicopter flying over a parking lot collecting hurricane aid. As it hovered over the area, it hurled debris and supplies onto the site and toppled canopies.

The North Carolina National Guard said in a statement released Tuesday that the video shows one of its helicopters attempting to make a generator delivery requested by a local civil organization to power their utility distribution point. As the helicopter descended into a Burnsville parking lot Because it was used for relief efforts, it threw debris and supplies across the site and toppled canopies. The landing was aborted for safety reasons.

Megan George, a dog trainer and former Coast Guard veteran who first posted the video, told The Associated Press that she did not mean to use it as evidence of government malice, but rather as documentation of a dangerous situation about which she wanted answers.

According to the National Guard statement, the helicopter's crew remained on the ground until the investigation into the incident is completed.

___

Associated Press writer David Klepper in Washington contributed to this article.

___

AP fact checks can be found here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.