In the wake of Hurricane HeleneThere are false rumors about the federal response spread quickly on social media. More extreme conspiracy theories have also taken root, including claims that politicians have manipulated the weather to target Republican areas and that the government is trying to seize land in North Carolina to extract lithium.
The false claims have been amplified by high-profile politicians and social media influencers with large followings. Despite being viewed millions of times online, these claims have been debunked by officials and experts, who emphasize that the government’s response remains focused on recovery efforts in the hardest-hit regions. Here are two fact checks on the key claims.
False claim: The government is seizing land in a North Carolina town to allow lithium mining
False claims that authorities are trying to seize Chimney Rock, North Carolina, to seize a lithium mine have spread on social media platforms such as X, TikTok and Facebook.
Some rumors point to a so-called “town meeting” where officials said they would bulldoze Chimney Rock and the government would own the land. One post on X spreading the false claim was viewed more than 6 million times.
Rutherford County Emergency Management said claims of a government seizure of Chimney Rock are “completely false,” adding that no “special meeting” was held to discuss the city’s seizure. Rutherford County Emergency Management clarified that North Carolina lawmakers had met with local officials to apply for federal and state aid.
Some social media users spreading the claim referred to the North Carolina town of Kings Mountain, where a lithium mine is expected to reopen. Others point to specific companies such as Piedmont Lithium, which wants to build a lithium mine in Gaston County, North Carolina.
These proposed lithium mines are located approximately 50 to 100 miles from Chimney Rock.
Local officials are actively working to rebuild the city’s damaged infrastructure. Chimney Rock has posted online updates about its recovery efforts, which include rebuilding Main Street, restoring power and clearing debris.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said on its new “Rumor Response” page that the agency cannot seize a resident’s property or land.
False claim: The government controlled the weather to allow Helene to reach Republican areas
The false claim that the government controlled the weather to manipulate Helene’s path to reach majority-Republican areas has racked up millions of views on social media.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on The post, which had more than 40 million views at the time of writing, was also debunked via a community note on X.
Greene also posted what she described as a map of areas affected by Helene — in states including Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas — with an overlay showing the area is home to a majority of Republican voters.
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones also amplified the claim, saying, “The bottom line is, the federal government could have killed the storm in the Gulf of Mexico.” Both Greene and Jones pointed to cloud seeding as evidence that the government controlled Hurricane Helene.
Cloud Seeding is a form of weather modification that can improve a cloud’s ability to create rain or snow, according to the Nevada-based Desert Research Institute, which has its own cloud seeding program. Cloud Seeding has been around since the 1940s and dozens of countries have weather modification programs.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, research into modifying hurricanes through cloud seeding was conducted in the years between 1962 and 1983, but the project ended after the seeding proved to be ineffective compared to the hurricane’s natural forces .
Conspiracies surrounding cloud seeding routinely appear after major weather events, including floods Dubai and storms in California. Asked whether cloud seeding played a role in the Dubai floods, a meteorologist told the Associated Press: “In terms of controlling individual rainstorms, we are nowhere near that.”
Federal and state officials have said misinformation and conspiracy theories are hampering efforts to provide help and accurate information to victims.
Deanne Criswell, who heads FEMA, said the false claims are “demoralizing” for aid workers. Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said:Confront the nationSunday that the claims distract from rescue efforts.
