Transcript:
Hurricane Helen caused devastating flooding in North Carolina last year.
After the storm, rumors about recovery work spread online, including false information about how much relief funds the government provides.
Samantha Montano, an emergency management expert at Massachusetts Maritime College, said there are several reasons why misleading after a disaster will spread.
Montano: “Some people lose power and so they can’t get on the phone, so they miss a lot of shared information. … Then you also have a problem with everyone sharing information, and it may not be clear who actually has the accurate information and who is the actual authority on the subject.”
To separate facts from the novel, Montano advises people to turn to local news and local officials.
Montano: “They are those people because they are part of your community and in most cases they will have the best idea of what is actually going on in the community.”
For questions about FEMA or other government aid, she recommends that you check the agency’s website directly online.
As climate change leads to more extreme weather, it is important to know how to keep the disaster hit.
Report Credit: Ethan Freedman/Chavobart Digital Media
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