Within the White House's urgent attempt to dismiss inaccurate information about hurricanes
Meetings were swiftly organized throughout the federal government to address the concerning escalation of misleading information – such as reports of funds being diverted to aid for migrants instead of recovery efforts, and accusations of minimal assistance for survivors – which has been, in part, boosted by Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump.
This situation has served as a catalyst for the White House and the larger government, as one US official put it, due to the sheer audacity of deception and the dissemination of falsehoods.
It isn't uncommon for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to handle rumors associated with any given natural disaster. However, US authorities are uneasy about the magnitude and range of the conspiracy theories and the danger they pose to hurricane victims and those working to manage the disaster.
This week, President Joe Biden requested a briefing from his team on the federal government's digital approach, with a focus on handling misinformation, as a senior administration official informed CNN. While discussing preparations for Hurricane Milton, Biden criticized the "shameless, imprudent, and relentless propagation of disinformation and outright lies that are distressing people" and their potential to undermine the commendable rescue and recovery efforts that had already been undertaken. He specifically cited Trump for his involvement in spreading these falsehoods.
"The characteristics of this misinformation are unlike anything we've encountered before," a senior administration official revealed to CNN.
As Hurricane Milton approached Florida, concerns within the administration have intensified, leading to the deployment of novel information-sharing methods to reach various corners of the internet, for example, a newly established White House Reddit page.
Senior US officials have also directed public relations teams at federal agencies to increase the volume of social media posts from government accounts, featuring images that demonstrate the efforts of federal employees to clear debris and distribute aid, according to the first US official familiar with the initiative.
"We are grappling with a significant misinformation issue, and this impedes the ability of responders to carry out their tasks effectively," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN's John Berman on Wednesday. "I believe a large portion of it is driven by politics, while some of it is just the internet's recent propensity to amplify the loudest or most bizarre statements."
Buttigieg had conversations with Musk over the weekend, addressing speculation that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was restricting airspace and obstructing rescue and recovery flights. After Musk tweeted about private helicopter flights to deliver satellite internet devices being limited by the FAA, Buttigieg explained the operation of airspace restrictions to Musk and connected him with the agency, a Department of Transportation spokesperson informed CNN.
While the administration has been open to directly engaging with Musk to curb the dissemination of false information, officials are also working to disseminate accurate guidance to Musk's subordinates and residents in affected states directly.
At the ground level, the White House aims to provide direct information about accessible resources and programs through text messages, telephone calls, emails, flyers, and FEMA centers, ensuring residents receive this information before hearing it from other parts of the internet.
At the corporate level, two senior administration officials informed CNN that the Biden administration has engaged with top leaders at X, previously known as Twitter, and SpaceX, to provide them with firsthand information about ongoing recovery efforts.
The objective, another official stated, is twofold: to debunk some of the notions that Musk has propagated and to enable companies like SpaceX's Starlink to develop their own strategy based on the region's needs.
"We're attempting to provide them with information and to clear the runway, clear the path so that they can actually do what they do best," the official explained.
North Carolina state agencies, along with the FAA, are continuing to emphasize that airports near the Hurricane Helene disaster area remain open for recovery flights, despite challenges on social media and from Trump, asserting otherwise.
"FEMA is not controlling any airports in western North Carolina," the North Carolina Division of Aviation posted in a new "Helene Aviation Fact vs Rumor" section of its website. "The FAA is not restricting access for recovery operations."
The state agency stated that it requested the FAA's assistance in establishing "coordinated measures" to decrease the likelihood of incidents involving relief flights, with air traffic increasing by 300%. CNN previously reported that there were 30 close calls involving noncommercial flights in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 28, 1991.
Since then, the FAA has set up a "Prior Permission Request" hotline for relief pilots to phone before landing at Asheville Regional Airport and Rutherford County Airport "to schedule landing and unloading times and aircraft parking, effectively spacing out aircraft and minimizing congestion and risk of incidents."
Republican officials push back against their own party's misinformation
Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, serving much of Western North Carolina, released a multipoint statement this week to debunk what he labeled as "the outrageous rumors that have been circulating online."
Many of the "myths" Edwards attempted to address had been advocated by members of his own party – including claims from Trump about FEMA funding and rescue operations. Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee made false statements on Tuesday, stating that migrant services had become central to FEMA's mission.
While FEMA manages grants for shelters aiding migrants, this is a separate and unrelated pot of money authorized by Congress, with disaster relief funds not being utilized for this purpose.
Another aspect of FEMA's assistance that has also been misconstrued by Trump and others is a $750 payment given to disaster survivors in the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, or other major storm.
This $750 sum is a relatively new program implemented in March of this year. Disaster survivors are eligible for additional funding to aid in the cost of temporary housing and home relocation or reconstruction, and they are not required to return any of this amount to the government, contrary to some allegations.
The snowballing of inaccurate data post-Hurricane Helene has imposed a direct impact on individuals on the ground as well. This includes FEMA employees who have been subjected to threats resulting from these unverified tales, as reported by a representative from the agency.
These myths include the inflammatory talk about funds being allocated to immigrants and the $750 immediate, direct payout to disaster survivors, according to Steve Reaves, a previous head of the American Federation of Government Employees’ FEMA council.
“My colleagues take delight in their duties. They're devoted to aiding fellow Americans. To have this called into question, to have it politicized, and to have it obstruct our primary objective is truly frustrating,” Reaves, a long-term FEMA worker based in Fort Worth, Texas, stated.
“It's disrespectful to every aspect of what we do and stand for,” he continued.
Reaves reminisced about FEMA employees also receiving threats following other hurricanes, such as Katrina, Sandy, and Maria, but argued that it's more intense now.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in a CNN interview on Wednesday, labeled the wave of antisemitic threats directed at officials involved in the Hurricane Helene response as "disgusting expressions of hate."
Mayorkas informed CNN that his department has witnessed the "real repercussions" of misinformation disseminated following Hurricane Helene, including some individuals being "hesitant to seek the federal aid they're entitled to."
A post on X, which amassed over 3 million views, alleged that an officer in the Carter County, Tennessee, sheriff's department was threatening to imprison a local resident for gathering their belongings in the aftermath of the hurricane. This claim spread to extremist channels on Telegram, where the far-right Proud Boys falsely claimed that the officer wasn't a part of the sheriff's department.
“Content like this, disseminated by online extremists, poses a significant risk to FEMA personnel, first responders, and those affected by these catastrophes,” John Cohen, the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS, told CNN.
In light of the misleading information spread about Hurricane Milton, President Biden has expressed concern about the role of politics in amplifying and disseminating falsehoods, specifically mentioning former President Trump. (contains: 'politics', 'Trump')
In an effort to combat misinformation, the White House has increased social media posts from government accounts and established a White House Reddit page to share information directly with the public. (contains: 'misinformation')
