ASHEVILLE – As locals and businesses in Western North Carolina continue to recover from Tropical Storm Helene’s devastation this fall, social media can be a powerful tool.
But it can also be a dangerous one, spreading misinformation and confounding vital recovery efforts.
On Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, users who have paid for a blue “verification” check mark are doing their own reporting on North Carolina’s recovery movement, citing claims of FEMA interference, unverified body counts and apathy from local government agencies.
Such claims are “nothing short of false,” said Justin Graney, a spokesperson for North Carolina Emergency Management.
“The spread of misinformation during this disaster has created safety concerns for responders, created false narratives that could impact a disaster survivor’s ability to access recovery resources, and created a purposeful divide in the public’s trust in state and local governments, which further complicates the response and recovery mission in what is already a historic situation,” Graney said.