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FEMA battles misinformation as Hurricane Milton hits Florida

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Published  October 9, 2024 10:13pm CDT
Severe Weather
FOX 9

FEMA officials address hurricane misinformation

Federal officials addressed widespread misinformation and scams surrounding Hurricane Milton. FOX 9's Leon Purvis has the full story.

The Brief

    • President Biden condemned the spread of misinformation, urging people to rely on official guidance and seek safety.
    • The Better Business Bureau provided tips to avoid charity scams when donating to hurricane victims.

(FOX 9) - As Hurricane Milton slams Florida's west coast on Wednesday, FEMA officials vowed that misinformation won’t derail efforts to support disaster recovery, urging the public to rely on official guidance and be cautious of false claims circulating about the agency’s role and resources.

What are they saying?

"We are not going to let the misinformation be a distraction to the important work we need to do," said Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator.

Criswell made it clear misinformation won't stop them from getting people back on their feet. This comes after wrong messaging on what resources FEMA provides and how they’re helping people. The administrator says the temperature has cooled down.

"We're still seeing some misinformation out there. I do believe that the volume of the misinformation is starting to go down," said Criswell.

On Wednesday, President Biden condemned the misinformation going around. Criswell urged people to follow guidance from officials.

"Please continue to listen to your local officials and seek safety immediately," said Criswell.

How not to get scammed?

So how can you sort through misinformation that may be coming across your screen?

"It is really important that we all just be very careful as we sort through what we think we know, what we know, what's being shared with us," said Bao Vang, The Vice President of Communications for The Better Business Bureau.

With Helene and Milton going through the southeast you may want to give victims a helping hand.  The BBB has tips for you so you don’t get scammed. First, verify the charity you’re donating to, consider donating to individuals directly, and use a credit card for fraud protection against scammers.

"They know and understand human emotions, and they are looking to take advantage of our generous selves, and looking to steal our personal identification or hard-earned money," said Vang.

The BBB adds to be aware of impersonation scams. That’s how they can build trust with a person to get into your bank account or personal information.