A Sunday social scroll led Bristol resident Hannah Bibee to a shared photo that stopped her.
It depicted two hands, thumbs up, rising from apparent floodwaters from Hurricane Helene. Between the wrists was a number: $750. In photos, videos and multiple social media posts, people have been claiming that $750 is all that flood victims can get from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, regardless of their situation.
Bibee knew this wasn’t true. Instead of starting a Facebook flame war, she simply posted a link dedicated to hurricane rumors. She said she has been doing a lot of that in recent days since Helene’s remnants traveled north from Florida and into parts of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia, inflicting death and devastation.
“I just have that link [and] a few informative links saved in my notes on my phone,” Bibee said. “I don’t want to argue with anybody, but you know … this particular link was to the FEMA website where they have a FAQ on different rumors and all that kind of stuff.”
Regarding the $750 provided to disaster survivors, the FEMA page says it is an upfront payment to cover food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency needs, but it is not the only money that the agency can provide. More assistance may still be available for needs that include temporary housing and personal property and home repair costs.
What’s more, it is not a loan, as many claim on social media.
The woman who shared the photo on Facebook — who also lives in Southwest Virginia, according to her profile — soon took it down. In an online chat, she declined to comment.
This was one of multiple rumors spread and shared on social media after Helene. (See box below for a list.) Many are attacking government institutions, and some are coming from political candidates.
Hung Cao, who’s running against U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., repeated the $750 claim in an interview that he shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Americans are stranded on the roofs that are dying, and the only thing [Vice President] Kamala Harris can give them is $750,” Cao said.
Kaine, in a statement that a spokeswoman shared, said that such FEMA assistance rumors are demoralizing the agency’s staff and volunteers, sowing mistrust and hampering search and rescue efforts.
“What I heard and saw when I visited Damascus, Marion, Galax, Chilhowie, Pulaski, and Pembroke aligns with what Democratic and Republican officials across the Southeast are saying: the FEMA rumors that are swirling around online are baseless,” Kaine said. “Fanning the flames of misinformation regarding this agency — which is run by Americans who dedicate their lives to helping their fellow Americans in the face of tragedy — is dangerous and sickening.”
Cao’s statements echo lines that former President Donald Trump has used in campaign speeches as he runs against Harris to be president again. Multiple news sources have categorized them as false.
It all flows from a “deeply and hotly contested presidential election year,” said Chapman Rackaway, a Radford University professor who chairs the school’s political science department.
“I think we have to look at everything that’s going on this year through that lens,” Rackaway said. “The parties don’t want to give the other party’s members anything about which they can claim credit and make their case in their campaign. … That and the continuing disinformation campaigns that we’re seeing out of Russia and China, kind of explain why there would be this rampant kind of campaign to discredit the efforts of the federal government. …
“Former President Trump and his social media has really kind of led that. You know, he has been hyper-critical of the Biden administration, and I think that others are kind of taking their cues from it.”
Rackaway noted the contrast between Trump’s statements and those of governors in states that are in distress after Helene. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, both Republicans, and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, have all praised the FEMA response and asked the public not to spread rumors.
Another Republican, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, has thanked Biden, along with Virginia officeholders, for their support and coordination. He told reporters last week that he was “incredibly appreciative of the rapid response and the cooperation from the federal team at FEMA.” On Tuesday, he told reporters that he had not heard from anyone on the ground that they were being turned away or not getting what they need.
“We do have moments where … there might be miscommunication on the ground, but we immediately swoop in and clarify and get them the help they need,” Youngkin said.
Virginia Tech librarian and digital literacy educator Julia Feerrar said that all the shared misinformation can be emotionally overwhelming for people, and it isn’t feasible to vet all of it.
“So where I continue to encourage people to come back to is focusing their energy on things that spark those big reactions, or that they’re using to inform big decisions, or decisions … that they care about, and then use that moment to pause and look for a little bit more context.”
She suggested using image search tools such as TinEye or Google Lens, to see where else a certain image has been shared online. That can catch artificial intelligence-generated images, as well as older images from different events that may have been reshared out of context. Images with strange lighting and hyper-real or overly smooth surfaces are potential clues that a viewer isn’t dealing with a real photo.
The Virginia Tech libraries have a digital toolkit to help web surfers evaluate information. See it at guides.lib.vt.edu/dltoolkit/evaluation.
Bibee, the Bristol resident sharing links to fight misinformation, is a real estate agent who said she and her colleagues have been providing aid to people affected in Southwest Virginia.
“It’s devastating and tragic, and … I was very proud of our community and everybody coming together, and then it’s just been really frustrating to see all the misinformation and kind of like the nasty memes,” she said. “Why are we focusing on that? That’s disappointing.
“But I try to focus on all the good things that are happening and the neighbors helping each other, and try to not get on social media as much because … it’ll tear you back down.”
Disaster recovery rumors vs. facts
Multiple post-Hurricane Helene rumors are making the social media rounds, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded to them on a webpage that also addresses Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida. It is edited here for brevity. See the entire list of rumors and responses at fema.gov.
Rumor: FEMA was blockading people in Florida and preventing evacuations.
This is false. FEMA does not control traffic flow or conduct traffic stops, which are handled by local authorities.
Rumor: FEMA only provides loans to disaster survivors.
This is false, though in less common situations, a survivor may have to pay FEMA back if they have received duplicate benefits from insurance or a grant from another source.
Rumor: The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting access to airspace for Helene rescue and recovery operations.
The FAA is not restricting access for recovery operations but is coordinating closely with state and local officials to make sure everyone is operating safely in very crowded and congested airspace.
Rumor: FEMA is in the process of confiscating Helene survivors’ property. If someone applies for disaster assistance and their land is deemed unlivable, the property will be seized.
FEMA cannot seize property or land, and applying for disaster assistance does not grant FEMA or the federal government authority or ownership of your property or land.
Rumor: FEMA is no longer accepting applications for housing assistance.
FEMA is still accepting assistance applications throughout areas affected by Helene. See application timelines at disasterassistance.gov.
Rumor: FEMA does not have enough money to provide disaster assistance for Helene.
FEMA has enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs. Helene victims need not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance. There is a variety of help available for different needs.
Rumor: FEMA is asking for cash donations and turning away volunteers.
FEMA does not ask for or generally accept any cash donations or volunteers for disaster response. The agency encourages people to volunteer with or donate cash to reputable voluntary or charitable organizations.
Rumor: Funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border-related issues.
No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance are funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, dedicated for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts.
Rumor: FEMA is confiscating donations for survivors.
Rumors about FEMA turning away donations, stopping trucks or vehicles with donations, confiscating and seizing supplies often spread after a disaster. These are all false.
