FEMA forced to create a web page to combat MAGA hurricane lies.
The conspiracy theories and misinformation about the federal government’s response to the disaster have gotten so out of control that the Federal Emergency Management Agency created an entire page on its website, “Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response,” aimed at countering unverified claims circulating online.
“Misinformation always affects the people who are trying to help and the people who need the help,” Willie Nunn, a senior FEMA official currently helping to lead the disaster response in South Carolina, told HuffPost.
“It really impacts us because of the trust factor that we need,” said Nunn. “The biggest thing, if the misinformation is negative and not in support of the response, is that the survivors, it will discourage them to call us. If we don’t know where they are, we can’t meet them where they are.”
North Carolina state Rep. Lindsey Prather (D), who represents part of Buncombe County, which has been devastated by Helene, told HuffPost that misinformation has affected the recovery effort. She said she’s been working around the clock to communicate accurate information to constituents about resources like food distribution sites.
“The biggest issue is rumors and fake memes and photos of people being trapped in areas around the county, and we send folks out to rescue them, and there’s no one there to be rescued,” Prather said, noting that such efforts require resources that could be used elsewhere.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hurricane-helene-conspiracy-theories_n_66fffc76e4b02f12ed4a9dd0
https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-helene/rumor-response
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