Texas Floods: Misinformation Across Political Spectrum Sows Confusion
The catastrophic floods over the weekend have left more than a 100 people dead, including more than two dozen girls and counselors at a riverside summer camp, with rescuers racing on Tuesday to search for dozens of people still missing.
Multiple left-leaning accounts on the platform X peddled the unfounded claim that staffing cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) by President Donald Trump's administration had "degraded" its forecasting ability.
While the NWS, like other agencies, has experienced deep staffing and budget cuts under the Trump administration, experts say its forecasters rose to the challenge despite the constraints.
"There have been claims that (weather agencies) did not foresee catastrophic (Texas) floods -- but that's simply not true," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, wrote on Bluesky.
"This was undoubtedly an extreme event but messaging rapidly escalated beginning (around) 12 (hours) prior...Locations that flooded catastrophically had at least 1-2+ hours of direct warning from NWS."
There were 22 warnings from the NWS for Kerr County and the Kerrville area, which experienced the worst flooding, according to a CBS News analysis.
"This truly was a sudden & massive event and occurred at worst possible time (middle of the night). But (the) problem, once again, was not a bad weather prediction: it was one of 'last mile' forecast/warning dissemination," Swain wrote.
Meanwhile, right-wing conspiracy theorists on social media falsely claimed that the government caused the flooding through cloud seeding, an artificial technique that stimulates rainfall.
Multiple experts have said that such weather-modification technologies were not responsible for the Texas floods.
The misinformation echoes past conspiracy theories, including claims that weather manipulation by the government caused Hurricane Milton -- which struck Florida's Gulf Coast last year -- and that cloud seeding efforts were behind last year's flooding in Dubai.
"False claims from both the left and right have spread widely on social media following the catastrophic floods in Texas," Sarah Komar and Nicole Dirks from the disinformation watchdog NewsGuard wrote in a report that debunked several falsehoods.
"When extreme weather events occur, conspiracy theories about humans creating or controlling them often soon follow."
Following natural disasters, misinformation often surges across social media -- fueled by accounts from across the political spectrum -- as many platforms scale back content moderation and reduce their reliance on human fact-checkers.
Traditional media outlets were not immune to misinformation swirling on the internet.
"Like other disasters before it, the (Texas) floods had attracted fast-spreading misinformation and served as a warning about the vigilance required of journalists during emotionally charged news events," said the nonprofit media institute Poynter.
Kerr County Lead, a local outlet, was forced to retract a false story about the miracle rescue of two girls who clung to a tree in the floods. The story first surfaced in social media posts that quickly went viral, but a local official said the reports were "100% inaccurate."
"Like everyone, we wanted this story to be true, but it's a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster," Louis Amestoy, Kerr County Lead's editor, wrote in a note to readers on Sunday.
"Unfortunately, the story is not true and we are retracting it."
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Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Texas Floods: Misinformation Across Political Spectrum Sows Confusion
Following deadly floods in Texas, misinformation from both left- and right-wing users was roiling social media, with liberals baselessly blaming staffing cuts at US weather agencies for flawed warning systems and conservatives ramping up conspiracy theories. The catastrophic floods over the weekend have left more than a 100 people dead, including more than two dozen girls and counselors at a riverside summer camp, with rescuers racing on Tuesday to search for dozens of people still missing. Multiple left-leaning accounts on the platform X peddled the unfounded claim that staffing cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS) by President Donald Trump's administration had "degraded" its forecasting ability. While the NWS, like other agencies, has experienced deep staffing and budget cuts under the Trump administration, experts say its forecasters rose to the challenge despite the constraints. "There have been claims that (weather agencies) did not foresee catastrophic (Texas) floods -- but that's simply not true," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, wrote on Bluesky. "This was undoubtedly an extreme event but messaging rapidly escalated beginning (around) 12 (hours) that flooded catastrophically had at least 1-2+ hours of direct warning from NWS." There were 22 warnings from the NWS for Kerr County and the Kerrville area, which experienced the worst flooding, according to a CBS News analysis. "This truly was a sudden & massive event and occurred at worst possible time (middle of the night). But (the) problem, once again, was not a bad weather prediction: it was one of 'last mile' forecast/warning dissemination," Swain wrote. Meanwhile, right-wing conspiracy theorists on social media falsely claimed that the government caused the flooding through cloud seeding, an artificial technique that stimulates rainfall. Multiple experts have said that such weather-modification technologies were not responsible for the Texas floods. The misinformation echoes past conspiracy theories, including claims that weather manipulation by the government caused Hurricane Milton -- which struck Florida's Gulf Coast last year -- and that cloud seeding efforts were behind last year's flooding in Dubai. "False claims from both the left and right have spread widely on social media following the catastrophic floods in Texas," Sarah Komar and Nicole Dirks from the disinformation watchdog NewsGuard wrote in a report that debunked several falsehoods. "When extreme weather events occur, conspiracy theories about humans creating or controlling them often soon follow." Following natural disasters, misinformation often surges across social media -- fueled by accounts from across the political spectrum -- as many platforms scale back content moderation and reduce their reliance on human fact-checkers. Traditional media outlets were not immune to misinformation swirling on the internet. "Like other disasters before it, the (Texas) floods had attracted fast-spreading misinformation and served as a warning about the vigilance required of journalists during emotionally charged news events," said the nonprofit media institute Poynter. Kerr County Lead, a local outlet, was forced to retract a false story about the miracle rescue of two girls who clung to a tree in the floods. The story first surfaced in social media posts that quickly went viral, but a local official said the reports were "100% inaccurate." "Like everyone, we wanted this story to be true, but it's a classic tale of misinformation that consumes all of us during a natural disaster," Louis Amestoy, Kerr County Lead's editor, wrote in a note to readers on Sunday. "Unfortunately, the story is not true and we are retracting it."
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Death Toll In Texas Floods Climbs To 108, With More Rain Expected
Hundreds of rescuers on Tuesday continued their search for people swept away by catastrophic Texas floods that killed more than 100 people, officials said, amid threats of more heavy rain. As of Tuesday morning, authorities in worst-hit Kerr County had recovered the bodies of 87 victims, Sheriff Larry Leitha told reporters. The deceased include at least 27 girls and counselors who were staying at a youth summer camp on the Guadalupe River over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. "At present, five Camp Mystic campers and one counselor still remain unaccounted for," Leitha added. At least 108 flood-related deaths were reported across central Texas, according to local officials. During a Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump said he would travel to Texas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday, and credited his strong ties with the state's Republican governor as having helped the rescue effort. "We brought in a lot of helicopters from all over... They were real pros, and they were responsible for pulling out a lot of people. And we got them there fast, and Texas had some good ones too, but the response has been incredible," Trump said. Trump, who previously said that disaster relief should be handled at the state level, earlier this week signed a major disaster declaration, activating fresh federal funds and freeing up resources. Ben Baker with the Texas Game Wardens said search and rescue efforts involving helicopters, drones and dogs were extremely difficult because of the water and mud. "When we're trying to make these recoveries, these large piles can be very obstructive, and to get in deep into these piles, it's very hazardous," Baker said. "It's extremely treacherous, time-consuming. It's dirty work, the water is still there." He added that special attention was being paid to the first responders' mental state, particularly given that the bodies of children were being recovered. In the town of Hunt, the epicenter of the disaster, an AFP team saw recovery workers combing through piles of debris with helicopters flying overhead, as hopes dimmed for finding any survivors. Javier Torres, 24, was digging through mud as he searched for the body of his grandmother, after having located the remains of his grandfather. He also discovered the bodies of two children, apparently washed up by the river. Officials warned that with more heavy rain forecast, recovery efforts would be rendered even more difficult. "We've had some reports of maybe some additional water coming in, obviously, that's going to impact the search and recovery efforts," said Baker. He said the weather may impact aerial patrol patterns, but "it won't deter them." Meanwhile, questions intensified over whether Trump's funding cuts had weakened warning systems, and over the handling of the rescue operation. During an at-times tense news conference, Baker skirted a question on the speed of the emergency response. "Right now, this team up here is focused on bringing people home," he said. Shel Winkley, a weather expert at the Climate Central research group, blamed the extent of the disaster on geography, the remnants of tropical storm Beryl, and exceptional drought, when dry soil absorbs less rainfall. "This part of Texas, at least in the Kerr County flood specifically, was in an extreme to exceptional drought. So that's the worst drought conditions that you can have, and we know that since May, temperatures have been above average," Winkley told reporters. The organization's media director, Tom Di Liberto, said staffing shortages at the National Weather Service had contributed to the disaster. "What happens, and this is shared not only in Texas but weather forecast offices across the country, is that the people with the most experience dealing with these extreme (events), but also communicating it, have left in a lot of places, so you can't necessarily replace that experience," Di Liberto said. A search and recovery team prepares a fan boat to launch on Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas AFP Debris lays along the Guadalupe River after flash flooding in central Texas with more than 100 fatalities reported AFP
Int'l Business Times
4 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Ted Cruz Calling for a 'Better System' in Wake of Texas Floods Met With Backlash Online: 'He Helped Defund It'
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is being ridiculed after he called for a "better system" to help Texans with disaster preparedness after the Trump administration slashed funding for several weather forecasting agencies. During an appearance on Fox News Monday morning, Cruz stated that "something went wrong" in regards to how locals were warned about the rising floodwaters. Dozens have been reported dead as a result of the flash floods that hit central Texas Friday morning. "There's no doubt afterwards that we're going to have a serious retrospective — as you do with any disaster — and say 'OK, what could've been done differently to prevent this disaster?'" Cruz said. "Look, the fact that you have girls asleep in their cabins when the floodwaters are rising, something went wrong there. We've got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm's way," he continued. Cruz was referring to the flooding of Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp that was flooded by the nearby Guadalupe River. At least 27 campers and counselors have died as a result of the flooding, and another 10 girls and one counselor remain missing. The senator said Texas officials are keeping the girls in "our prayers," hoping they will be found alive. However, Cruz's words were met with backlash online after several users pointed out that the Trump administration, supported by the Republican senator, slashed funding and cut staffing at agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) earlier this year. Pictured: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game. GETTY IMAGES / Ethan Miller "We have a system. He helped to defund it," one user declared. Another chided, "Yeah cutting back NOAA is 'something went wrong' very wrong." "Ted voted to gut services and he knows it," one user claimed. Another user wrote sarcastically, "If only we had some kind of, I don't know, National Weather Service. And we gave it all the funding it needed!" About 600 NWS employees have been laid off so far this year, leaving some offices with tighter staffing or even limited coverage. Despite this, NWS has defended the warnings it issued prior to the flash foods, though noted that about 1 to 2 more inches of rain fell than initially anticipated, NBC News reported. Originally published on Latin Times
