extreme-weather-verify
Hurricane Milton: Debunking Viral Videos Misleading on Storm Scenes
As Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc on Florida’s Gulf Coast, videos surfaced online showcasing dramatic weather phenomena. Many of these clips purported to depict the destructive nature of the storm, but not all claims held up under scrutiny.
Making landfall as a Category 3 storm on October 9, Hurricane Milton brought heavy rain, strong winds, and tornadoes to areas already nursing wounds from Hurricane Helene. Amid this chaos, various videos circulated on social media, tempting viewers with sensational imagery.
One of the most circulated videos was a compilation featuring tornadoes, accompanied by a claim that these clips were recorded on the same day as Milton’s landfall. This footage reached a wide audience, even prompting coverage from outlets like The Daily Mirror.
Another notable video racked up over two million views on TikTok, showcasing dark clouds and ominous skies, leading several viewers to inquire if it genuinely represented the storm. Such videos raise questions about their authenticity, especially given the chaotic context of Hurricane Milton.
After extensive investigation, VERIFY confirmed that the tornado compilation does not depict footage from Hurricane Milton. Utilizing a video forensics tool, a reverse image search revealed that the clips in question are from previous storms or are computer-generated imagery.
Specifically, the first tornado clip in the video was traced back to a CGI video posted on June 15, 2024. Other segments came from various storms, including one specifically from Andover, Kansas, in 2022 and another from severe weather in western New York.
VERIFY’s analysis revealed multiple clips in the second video also misrepresented their origins. For instance, one showing dark clouds over a lifeguard shack was actually taken ahead of Hurricane Elsa, years prior. Additionally, a shelf cloud in Cincinnati was mischaracterized as storm footage related to Milton.
Through meticulous verification, it became clear that many of the posts claiming to depict Milton’s impact were misleading. While the storm’s destructiveness is undeniable, spreading misinformation only adds to the confusion surrounding such extreme weather events.
