Burcum: Hurricane relief lies are a national disgrace

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Appalachian communities are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. Now another monster storm, Milton, is roaring across the Gulf of Mexico and expected to make landfall by Thursday on Florida’s vulnerable West Coast.

In Minnesota, there’s a long and cherished tradition of rallying around communities when disaster strikes. As good-hearted citizens here consider what they can do to help the storm-stricken Southeast, donations to organizations like the Red Cross are always a good option. But here’s another timely idea:

Don’t gullibly swallow disinformation about relief efforts. And don’t disseminate it yourself via Facebook or other personal social media accounts.

It’s dispiriting that this has to be said in the midst of these two historically destructive hurricanes. I’ve been in journalism for over three decades and have done a lot of fact-checking over my career, particularly during election years. It’s an exercise that typically takes me deeper into the details when it comes to issues, such as health reform. The lack of nuance often missing from candidates’ sound bites can be confusing. Providing context and clarity is a public service, a responsibility I look forward to during campaign season.

But the deluge of falsehoods that has accompanied Helene’s aftermath, and likely to plague communities stricken by Milton, is next-level. This is not about legitimate policy differences or an embellishment that needs calling out.

Instead, we’re talking about former President Donald Trump and his supporters promoting outright lies and conspiracy theories about relief efforts for political gain. It’s a national disgrace that someone seeking the highest office in the land is weaponizing this weather crisis, with little concern for the truth or how the falsehoods may be hindering those hit hardest by the storms.

The Charlotte Observer newspaper’s editorial staff has commendably taken aim at some of Trump’s most outrageous statements. Among them: misleading social media posts by Trump that accuse federal officials of leaving people to drown in North Carolina and going out of their way not to help people in rural (likely Republican) districts.

Other shocking Trump claims: that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp couldn’t get President Joe Biden on the phone, which Kemp himself has debunked. Or, that FEMA — the Federal Emergency Management Agency — is out of money because current presidential candidate Kamala Harris spent the dollars on illegal immigrants. The Washington Post fact-checked that one, calling it “completely wrong.” It also pointed out that it was Trump’s own administration that redirected disaster relief funds.

”In 2019, the Trump administration, in the middle of hurricane season, told Congress that it was taking $271 million from DHS programs, including $155 million from the disaster fund, to pay for immigration detention space and temporary hearing locations for asylum-seekers who had been forced to wait in Mexico,” the Post reported.

Trump fangirls Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Laura Loomer also have jumped into the fray with their own harmful hot takes. Greene has claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that ”they” can control the weather, apparently suggesting that federal officials cannot only drum up but direct hurricanes to hinder voting in key areas. More than 40,000 people liked her post, and 20,000 retweeted it.

Loomer, who is most charitably described as a right-wing provocateur, has urged storm victims to not comply with FEMA. She has 1.3 million followers on X. While it’s apparent to most how dubious this advice is, there are some unfortunately who might take it to heart, potentially undermining rescue efforts. Or, even creating unnecessary risks for FEMA and other aid workers now on the ground. Someone could get hurt because of the distrust she is actively fomenting.

Like the Charlotte newspaper, FEMA has now added fact-checking to its responsibilities in the storm’s aftermath. Its website has several pages that address other falsehoods, such as that the agency is confiscating relief donations or stopping trucks with supplies. While it’s sensible that FEMA is fighting these rumors, it’s regrettable that it has to do so, further stretching the agency’s resources as Milton barrels in.

Individual Americans cannot just stay on the sidelines. Gale-force disinformation is too big a challenge for the media or FEMA to thwart. We live in the Age of Information, and that brings with it additional civic obligations. A key responsibility: carefully weighing information and considering the source before sharing it.

The Bible, a book that many of us have in our homes, long predates Facebook and Twitter but has advice that remains especially relevant on this issue. Specifically, there’s a commandment that warns against bearing false witness. These have always been words to live by, but are especially on point now when a social media post made by anyone can go viral, reaching thousands even millions of people.

The problem with disinformation goes beyond current relief efforts. It distracts from the national focus needed to enact other critical solutions. For example, there’s already an insurance affordability crisis for homeowners in regions prone to hurricanes. The problem is so big and expensive that reforms at the federal level are a must. Presidential candidates and those aiming for other offices should be laying out their plans to help property owners who are struggling already to pay for coverage and who will almost certainly face steeper future hikes.

Instead, Trump and his supporters are fearmongering and serving up conspiracy theories. This is not the serious conversation — or the leadership — this nation deserves.