Disaster disinformation

 FEMA chief says disaster disinformation is ‘worst’ she’s seen

Conspiracies and rumors are hurting recovery and relief efforts, warned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

By Adam Aton and Scott Waldman

Misinformation is beginning to take a toll on hurricane responders and survivors alike, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday as another massive storm headed for the southeast.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the swirl of false conspiracy theories around Hurricane Helene is dissuading survivors from seeking help and hurting morale among responders.

“It is absolutely the worst I have ever seen,” Criswell told reporters on a Tuesday morning call.

“It’s creating distrust in the federal government, but also the state government, and we have so many first responders that have been working to go out and help these communities,” she added.

The agency has long had a rumor control page to combat the kind of scams that often flourish after a disaster, she added. “I anticipated some of this, but not to the extent that we’re seeing.”

Many of the falsehoods can be traced back to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his supporters, who have baselessly accused federal responders of diverting disaster money to immigrants.

Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and ascendant GOP megadonor, has also amplified false claims of feds interfering with hurricane recovery.

Other Republicans have praised the federal response and urged the public to rely on official communications rather than rumors.

Criswell compared the atmosphere around Hurricane Helene to the misinformation that proliferated after the 2023 Maui wildfires. Researchers later linked foreign entities to the spread of disinformation around that.