By Rhona Tarrant
/ CBS News
Fact-checking Hurricane Helene misinformation
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue across the southeastern U.S., federal and state officials have warned that misinformation and conspiracy theories are hindering efforts to provide aid and accurate information to victims.
The American Red Cross said misinformation is hurting relief efforts, while Deanne Criswell, who leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the false claims are “demoralizing” to aid workers. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina told “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the claims distract from rescue work.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called out “scam artists and bad faith actors and others who are putting politics over people are promoting misinformation about our efforts, including falsehoods about federal assistance.”
Misinformation often surges following major weather disasters, but with Hurricane Helene hitting several battleground states just weeks before a tightly contested election, the spread of false claims has accelerated. Some of the most extreme conspiracy theories taking root online claim politicians manipulated the weather to target Republican areas and that the government is trying to seize land in North Carolina to mine lithium.
Former President Donald Trump doubled down on his misleading statements about federal disaster relief on Monday, falsely alleging that the Biden administration has allocated “almost all of the FEMA money to illegal migrants.” At a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, Trump falsely suggested that storm victims were only being offered $750 in aid.
Here are four fact-checks on the main claims about Helene recovery efforts.
1. Claim: Federal aid is being diverted to support immigrants
A widely-circulated claim falsely asserts that FEMA has run out of money because it diverted disaster relief funds to support undocumented immigrants. Trump amplified this claim at a Michigan rally on Thursday, saying, “Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants” and asserting that the Biden-Harris administration “stole the FEMA money” to give it to undocumented immigrants.
These claims are false
FEMA has said it has funds for “immediate response and recovery efforts” from Hurricane Helene but it may face a funding shortfall as more storms emerge this season. The agency has said that no money is being diverted from disaster response needs.
Critics of the Biden-Harris administration have pointed to one FEMA initiative, the Shelter and Services Program, which gives grants to groups to provide shelter and other services to migrants. Its funding for the 2024 fiscal year, which was approved by Congress, was $650 million, a small fraction of FEMA’s budget.
FEMA receives funding from Congress for specific functions, including disaster relief. The shelter program and the disaster relief fund have two distinct sources of funding, both of which have been approved by Congress.
As CBS previously reported, the last time funds allocated for disaster relief were used for immigration purposes was in 2019 during the Trump administration, when the Department of Homeland Security told Congress it planned to use $271 million allocated for disaster aid efforts and other initiatives to expand space in migrant detention centers and bolster a program that requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases were processed in the U.S.
2. Claim: Storm victims will receive only $750
At a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump suggested that those who lost their homes in the hurricane were only being offered $750 in federal aid, echoing a claim that has widely circulated on social media. “They’re offering them $750, to people whose homes have been washed away. And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of.” Trump said.
This claim is misleading
The $750 referenced is part of FEMA’s “Serious Needs Assistance” program, which is designed to provide immediate relief for essential supplies like food, water and medication. The program is one part of a larger package of aid available to those affected by the storm.
FEMA has said federal assistance for survivors has surpassed $210 million. President Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in North Carolina for six months.
FEMA also debunked online claims that the $750 was a loan and that failure to repay it would result in people’s property being seized. “This is not true. We do not ask for this money back,” said FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg.
3. Claim: Volunteers and donations are being blocked
Dozens of social media posts have suggested that state and federal officials are blocking volunteers from entering hard-hit areas, including western North Carolina, and confiscating donations intended for storm victims.
These claims are misleading
Officials say the claims mischaracterize efforts to coordinate disaster relief and keep people safe. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety urged volunteers to coordinate through official channels, as many roads remain dangerous due to landslides, and encouraged financial donations to vetted volunteer organizations. They said donations are not being confiscated.
FEMA also refuted claims that it was turning away donations and blocking roads, saying voluntary agencies handle all physical donations and local law enforcement oversees road closures.
FEMA also said the FAA “is not restricting access for recovery operations.” It followed a post by X owner Elon Musk that alleged FEMA was blocking the delivery of aid. The FAA said in a statement that it is trying to maintain safety as skies have become busy during recovery efforts.
4. Claim: Government is withholding aid to Republican areas
Trump floated a claim early in the recovery efforts that aid was not reaching Republican areas in North Carolina, posting on Monday on Truth Social: “I’ll be there shortly, but don’t like the reports that I’m getting about the Federal Government, and the Democrat Governor of the State, going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas.”
This claim lacks evidence
FEMA has strongly refuted this claim on its site, saying it “provides assistance to survivors regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.”
Western North Carolina has become a focus of misinformation, including claims that aid efforts are being blocked. The area is represented by a Republican in Congress, but Asheville is represented by a Democrat in the state Assembly.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Sunday criticized those spreading “false information,” linking to several articles that quoted Trump’s statements about recovery efforts.
