The toll of victims after the hurricane Milton landfall on Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Spain) is increasing as rescue efforts in Florida progress. At the moment, 13 deaths have already been recorded, six of whom died as a result of the tornadoes that formed on the east coast of the peninsula before the arrival of the hurricane. Emergency teams work amid the destruction left by the storm and also against the misinformation campaigns that have spread through the networks in recent weeks.
Since the hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26 and left more than 200 dead as it passed through Florida, the two Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia, the networks have been flooded with hoaxes about the survivors of the tragedy and the management by the federal government. Now, after the destruction of Miltonwhich has left more than three million homes without electricity, the threat of misinformation growing has only increased.
Although some falsehoods come from internet forums, others have come from the mouth of former President Donald Trump. One of the lies told by Trump that has had the most impact, and that his great ally Elon Musk – owner of of the disaster budget to provide aid to illegal migrants. The claim is flatly false, as migrant aid and the emergency budget are two completely separate funds. The State Department cannot transfer money from one place to another.
With less than 30 days until the elections, Trump and his people want to use the damage from the hurricanes to attack the image of President Joe Biden, and in turn, damage the campaign of the vice president and Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. During the press conference after the passing of Milton For Florida, Biden already warned that “it will be a long road to total reconstruction” and harshly criticized the Republican for continuing to contribute to misinformation. “Trump, get a life, man. Help these people,” Biden said from the lectern, addressing the Republican directly.
In recent days, organizations such as the American Red Cross have also had to come out to deny conspiracy theories and hoaxes that have circulated online. In a post published on Facebook the days after the passage of Helenethe Red Cross cited a series of hoaxes such as that “the Red Cross is not on the ground” or that “the Red Cross is confiscating or throwing away donations.” The same entity warned how these types of lies make rescue tasks difficult and endanger survivors, in addition to turning volunteers into targets of attacks.
The conspiracy theories that have been seen these days range from the hurricane Helene It was created with the intention of allowing lithium mining in North Carolina, until the catastrophe was created so that the Democrats would win the elections. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the most loyal to Trump, has even stated on two occasions that the government can control the climate. The company Pyrra Technologies has detected that during the hurricane Milton some of the very hoaxes that were used with Heleneaccording to the New York Times.
This Thursday, Biden spoke by phone with Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida who has been spreading hoaxes about migrants along the same lines as Trump. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president was focused on explaining how the federal government could help Florida officials respond to the hurricane. Miltonand “he has been very clear about what he thinks about misinformation.”
Despite Milton has left Florida as a category one hurricane, authorities remain on alert on the east coast for possible torrential rains and storm surges. “Roads are flooded and there is still the potential for dangerous conditions. Do not walk or drive through them,” warned Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Work is also being done to try to return electricity to the more than 3 million homes and buildings that have been left without electricity. Before the arrival of Miltondue to the consequences of Helenethe federal government had already declared a state of emergency in Florida.
Damage caused by the storm is estimated at up to $60 billion. Heavy rains in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties created accumulations of up to 17 inches overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. In the city of Saint Petersburg, the cyclone even ripped off the roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium. In the nets you could see the pieces flying in the gusts of wind.
before it arrived MiltonFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis had announced that this stadium was being refurbished to be an operations center where emergency workers and cleaning crews could rest after the long days of work that were expected once the season had passed. hurricane. In total it was expected to accommodate around 10,000 people. DeSantis has already confirmed that there were “no state assets” at the stadium on the night of the hurricane.
Source: www.eldiario.es
