WASHINGTON — FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday that the swirl of misinformation spread by right-wing influencers on social media — and by former President Donald Trump — about the federal disaster response to Hurricane Helene is beginning to subside.
“We still see some misinformation. I really believe the amount of misinformation is starting to decrease,” Criswell said on a call with members of the press. “But now we have to stay focused on what our mission is: our mission is to help people.”
“We will not let misinformation distract from the important work we need to do,” she added.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency had to push back a wave of disinformation and conspiracy theories amid the disaster response to Helene. Prominent Republicans have fueled these rumors. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) claimed the U.S. government is able to control the weather and has focused primarily on GOP states. Trump wrongly claimed The Biden administration is taking money from FEMA and using it to help immigrants illegally vote in the November election. Trump also wrongly claimed FEMA is giving only $750 to Helene survivors.
As FEMA prepares for Hurricane Milton, which was on track to hit Florida later Wednesday possibly decimate in the Tampa Bay region, the country is bracing for a further outpouring of disinformation. But this time, some Republicans are calling on members of their own party to crush it with dangerous lies.
“NEW FLASH -> People cannot create or control hurricanes,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) wrote on social media Wednesday, in response to Greene making the claim. “Anyone who thinks it is possible should have their head examined.”
Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee have reportedly put together a new fact sheet on disaster relief, stating that there is “no funding link between” FEMA’s migrant shelter program and the disaster relief fund, refuting Trump’s false claim.
The fact sheet states that there is “no mixing of funding between these two programmes”. according to Fox News’ Chad Pergramand “the only connection is that both programs are administered by FEMA.”
FEMA has stepped up its efforts to counter all the bad information. It has set up a page on its website, “Hurricane Helene: response to rumors”, dedicated to combating unverified claims. North Carolina State Officials were established a similar rumor-busting web page of their own. And in their conversations with the press, FEMA officials routinely debunk the latest rumors.
“That is absolutely not true,” Keith Turi, acting director of FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, said Monday in response to the $750 claim circulated by Trump.
Turi has also dismissed false claims that FEMA confiscates people’s belongings when providing aid to disaster survivors, calling these “lies.”extremely detrimental to response efforts.”
“It reduces the likelihood of survivors coming to FEMA and registering for assistance,” he warned. “It is important that we have trusting relationships with all our partners and the public, and that misinformation has a direct impact on our assets.”
In unexpected remarks, President Joe Biden on Wednesday demanded that people stop spreading misinformation about disaster relief efforts. He specifically called out Trump for leading “the onslaught of lies” and Greene for her “outlandish” claim that the government controls the weather.
“It’s beyond ridiculous. It has to stop,” Biden told the cameras ahead of a White House briefing on preparations for Milton. “At times like these there are no red or blue states. There is one United States of America, where neighbors help neighbors. Volunteers and aid workers risk everything, including their own lives, to help their fellow countrymen.”
