"Super Typhoon Is a Government Work"...Unexpected Conspiracy Theory in the US

Hurricane 'Hurleen' Hits US Southeast Last Month
Over 200 Dead, Buildings and Roads Devastated
"Officials Control Weather, Engineered Storm" Conspiracy Theory

Last month, as the massive hurricane 'Hurleen' struck the southeastern United States at speeds reaching 225 km/h, causing widespread damage, conspiracy theories claiming "the government is controlling the weather" began to spread. On the 6th (local time), Reuters reported, "After Hurricane 'Hurleen' swept through six U.S. states leaving over 200 dead, false claims and unverified rumors spread on social media (SNS)."

Most of these claims are absurd, such as "government officials are controlling the weather," "Hurleen is a storm designed to allow companies to mine lithium deposits in the region," and "officials are deliberately neglecting the bodies."

The scene of Asheville, North Carolina, which was damaged by Hurricane Hurley on the 3rd (local time). [Image source=Getty Images Yonhap News]

However, on the 3rd, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a hardline Republican congresswoman, stirred controversy by endorsing the conspiracy theories on her X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, "Yes. They can control the weather. It is ridiculous for anyone to lie that it is impossible."

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, criticized the Biden administration's response, claiming, "There is no money to help the hurricane-affected areas because Biden illegally used $1 billion (about 1.3487 trillion won) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) budget to support illegal immigrants."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response, the White House stated on the 4th, "Some Republican leaders and conservative media are deliberately spreading rumors to divide Americans in ways that could harm disaster relief efforts." Specifically addressing Trump's claims, they called them "false" and rebutted, "No disaster relief funds have been used to provide housing and services to immigrants." However, the Trump campaign continues to repeat allegations that FEMA's budget was used illegally.

As conspiracy theories about the hurricane spread on social media, government agencies and officials reportedly struggled to respond. FEMA created a dedicated page on its website to address the issue, and some officials personally responded by explaining FEMA's disaster response procedures on their own social media accounts.

Kate Starbird, a professor at the University of Washington in the U.S., pointed out, "Disasters are often politicized," adding, "When conspiracy theories and misinformation manipulate the process by which people make sense of collective experiences and politicize events, it becomes more difficult to make informed decisions not only for current response and recovery but also for preparing for future incidents."