Furious officials say misinformation is harming hurricane response [Video]

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has sparked a flood of misinformation online, with federal, state and local leaders sounding the alarm that it is complicating an already difficult recovery process in the South.

The false claims began shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina late last month, leaving widespread destruction and a long road ahead for hundreds of thousands of residents.

Falsehoods about government funding were among the most shared claims on social media, including by former President Trump, who baselessly claimed last week that the government is purposely withholding aid from Republican hurricane victims while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is redirecting disaster relief funds to migrants.

Both of these claims have been refuted by FEMA, which created a page titled “Hurricane Rumor Response,” where users can see debunked rumors about the agency’s response.

Now, government officials are warning the spread of inaccurate information and conspiracy theories is hindering the search, rescue and recovery work.

Calling the …