Even as the rescue efforts after Hurricane Helene were ongoing, the US was hit by yet another massive natural disaster with Hurricane Milton striking Florida just days later. In the chaos, multiple conspiracy theories are running amok, wasting time and energy that should have been directed at rescue efforts. Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) seems to have evolved (or devolved) into a hub for conspiracy theories like these and he even promoted them himself along with Donald Trump.

Many have warned that these conspiracy theories could not only end up harming rescue efforts but also pose a threat to rescue workers. President Joe Biden rued the “reckless and irresponsible and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies about what’s going on.” The White House statement added that these are “undermining confidence in the people in Florida and the incredible rescue and recovery work that has been undertaken.”

There are multiple conspiracy theories swirling on X that suggest that Hurricane Milton wasn’t a natural disaster but was “geoengineered” and that the US government was manipulating the weather. Some say that the US government geoengineered Hurricane Helene to access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock and the area is being bulldozed over by local officials. Others just say that it was conjured by the Democrats to make it harder for Republicans to vote, though there were millions of Democrats in the paths of the two hurricanes so the theory isn’t all that coherent.

Conspiracy Theories Run Amok After Two Hurricanes

Weather experts stress that humans cannot create (or stop) hurricanes. Suzana Camargo from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, said, “There is no possibility using current knowledge and technology to use geoengineering to modify hurricanes.”

Charles Konrad, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Regional Climate Center echoed similar views and said that currently, no one has the technology to geoengineer a hurricane.

Another conspiracy theory says that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is turning away donations and confiscating or seizing supplies meant for relief efforts. In reality, though, FEMA does not do such activities, and road closures are managed by local law enforcement agencies.

There are also conspiracy theories saying FEMA is seizing properties of those applying for disaster relief. Again, the conspiracy theory is just not true as the agency does not have any such authority and there is no evidence of it doing so.

FEMA Is Not Running Out of Money

Another conspiracy theory running around floats that FEMA is running out of money but this one has a kernel of truth. The theory stemmed from the comments of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas who said, “We are expecting another hurricane hitting — we do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds, to make it through the season.”

In reality though, while two hurricanes in quick succession have strained FEMA’s finances, the agency has emphasized that it has “enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs.” Mayorkas was clear that we are able to fund the relief for these 2 hurricanes but that we might not have enough resources directed to FEMA to make it through a third severe natural disaster. Conspiracy theorists should also know that it isn’t Democrats who are refusing to bolster FEMA.

Republicans have repeatedly refused to fund FEMA further, even though it now runs on a deficit. 100 Republicans recently refused to sign onto a budget that increased FEMA’s budget, killing the movement. Furthermore, because Congress is no longer in session, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson will have to be the one to call a special session to pass more FEMA funding and he has already said that he won’t do so.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters “I have funding and sufficient resources to support the ongoing responses to Hurricane Helene as well as Hurricane Milton.” She however added that the agency is still assessing the rescue costs to determine whether (and how much) more money FEMA would need from Congress.

Conspiracy Theory Over Funds Being Diverted to Migrants

Meanwhile, the conspiracy theory that’s perhaps getting the most traction is that funds meant for disaster relief are being diverted to illegal migrants.

FEMA has junked the rumors and said, “No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts.”

Antisemitism is also on full display and rumors say that aid is being provided based on demographic characteristics with many doubting the loyalty of FEMA director of public affairs, Jaclyn Rothenberg who is a Jew.

Unfortunately, these kinds of rank bigotry are increasingly common on Elon Musk’s X, where you can find Hitler apologia with millions of views, rank antisemitism of all kinds, and much more.

Why Have Conspiracy Theories Been Spreading So Fast

While usually, such conspiracy theories might not have spread so insanely, the fact that the hurricanes happened a few weeks before the upcoming US Presidential elections has made them a political battleground.

We are in a charged-up political climate ahead of the upcoming elections where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are running almost neck and neck with polls showing Harris having an upper hand, so such discourse and conspiracy theories over a natural calamity are hardly surprising.

What’s making matters worse is that X has eased its content moderation policies and the platform has been a boon for far-right activists, fake news peddlers, and conspiracy theorists. The fact that X’s owner Elon Musk – who has backed Trump in the 2024 presidential elections – has himself supported some conspiracy theories.

For instance, Musk insinuated that he provided free Starlink connectivity to areas affected by Helene on Trump’s advice. However, the Biden administration has countered Musk and said that Starlink deliveries were already in place in the affected areas.

Many Verified X Accounts Are Spreading Rumors

In order to increase X’s revenues – which has plummeted because many advertisers stopped advertising on the platform which has been so filled with hate and misinformation – Musk rolled out paid verification. While the move was intended to “democratize” the coveted blue ticks, it has also meant that many accounts spreading misinformation are verified.

Even in the case of nasty hurricanes, many verified accounts are spreading harmful conspiracy theories and it can be overwhelming for users to distinguish between them and verified accounts of credible people. Multiple reports have flagged growing instances of hate speech, misinformation, and antisemitism on X ever since Musk took over the company.

X Is At the Center of Controversy

While hurricane conspiracy theories are running amok on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, X has especially been at the center of controversies as both Musk and Trump have used the platform to support conspiracy theories.

Trump has also been using his Truth Social to blame the Biden administration’s response and in a post, the former President said, Hurricane Helene was the “WORST & MOST INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED “STORM,” AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, EVER SEEN BEFORE.”

Meanwhile, while X and Musk seem to be smooth sailing in the US despite all the misinformation on the social media platform, he may not be so lucky in Europe. The European Commission believes that X is not complying with its DSA (Digital Services Act). Musk meanwhile asserts that the Commission wants it to censor free speech to escape fines.

Incidentally, France recently arrested Telegram founder and CEO Parel Durov. Telegram had been on the radar of several law enforcement agencies over what they believe is the company’s failure to curb booming illegal activities through its network.

As for X, the platform’s lax content moderation policies have been a bone of contention with several regulators. While Musk is a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” his actions have been to the contrary and X has compiled takedown requests from several countries. Most recently it complied with demands made by Brazil after Musk previously refused to take down some accounts flagged by the country’s Supreme Court.

Musk has long been in a feud with Brazilian jurist Alexandre de Moraes over rampant misinformation on X and far-right accounts using the platform to spread hatred. When it comes to the US though, X continues to be used for spreading misinformation and more recently hurricane conspiracy theories.