- Locals hold rescuers responsible for disasters
- Information tries to combat misinformation
- Threats are becoming more serious
Locals hold rescuers responsible for disasters
CNN reports that threats to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers and a wave of misinformation on social media have forced authorities to temporarily suspend aid in parts of North Carolina.
The suspension of aid is an additional blow to those affected by hurricanes Helena and Milton. Both caused massive damage, with Helena killing more than 230 people in six states and more than 100 deaths recorded in North Carolina. Milton, which followed shortly afterward, caused severe flooding, destroyed many homes and infrastructure, and killed more than 10 people[1].
In Ashe County, North Carolina, FEMA's work was halted after workers received threats. In an official statement, County Sheriff Phil Howell urged residents to remain calm and cool during the recovery efforts, to help people, and not to escalate the situation, CNN reports. In Rutherford County, work also had to be halted after the National Guard reported that "armed militias" were threatening FEMA workers.
According to the New York Post (NYP), accusations of FEMA stealing donations or sending aid abroad, especially to Ukraine, began to circulate on the Internet. Deanne Criswell, the agency's head, said that such rumors interfered with their work and that the threats and aggressive rhetoric demoralized staff.
"I've been involved in disaster management for almost 20 years and I can't think of any other major disaster that has had so much misinformation," the NYP quoted Samantha Montano, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, as saying.
Information tries to combat misinformation
To combat rumours and misinformation, FEMA has created a hurricane fact-checking portal, reviewing nearly a dozen false claims about storms and FEMA's response to them.
US President Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into how federal agencies deal with misinformation. Government agencies have stepped up their presence on social media, posting pictures and messages about aid distribution and debris removal to reassure people of the reliability of their work[2].
"This is the first time we are dealing with misinformation on this scale," J. Biden's administration told CNN.
Threats are becoming more serious
Meteorologists have also faced threats, including death threats. Matt Lanza from Houston stressed that the level of hostility "has reached new heights" and warned that the profession could lose a lot of talent as a result. Chris Gloninger, Iowa's chief meteorologist, quit his job after receiving death threats for discussing climate change on air.
According to the New York Post (NYP), meteorologists are accused on social media of being part of a government conspiracy to create and manage hurricanes. For example, Matthew Cappucci from the District of Columbia said that during hurricanes, he received numerous messages accusing the government of controlling the weather, which he helped to cover up.
"Killing meteorologists won't stop hurricanes," wrote Michigan synoptic Katie Nicolaou on the social networking site X. "I can't believe I have to write this."
Marshall Shepherd, Director of the Atmospheric Sciences Programme at the University of Georgia and former President of the American Meteorological Society pointed out that attacks on experts intensify during major natural disasters[3].
"We all talk about how much things have intensified. People in my area are stressing that the aggression towards them is becoming more and more palpable", he pointed out.
False rumors are hampering meteorologists' work and making rescue work more difficult. Kerry Giles, Rutherford County Community Representative, pointed out that the fight against misinformation is taking up valuable resources and that "instead of helping the victims, we are forced to deny rumors."
