Cover of Extreme Weather, a 2025 report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, examining how social media platforms allow climate misinformation to spread during natural disasters — putting lives at risk. Source: Center for Countering Digital Hate, 2025
When deadly floods swept through Texas during the July 4th weekend of 2025, families searched for help and answers. But instead of facts, many found dangerous lies online — like claims that the government had used “weather weapons” to cause the disaster.
It sounds far-fetched, but these ideas aren’t just fringe conspiracy theories anymore. They’re reaching millions of people, right when those people need trustworthy information the most. In moments when accurate updates can save lives, false claims on social media can confuse, scare, and even cause harm — and that’s exactly what’s happening on platforms like X, YouTube, and Facebook.
What’s Happening?
A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that false claims about disasters like floods, wildfires, and hurricanes are spreading quickly across social media. The researchers reviewed 300 of the most-liked misleading posts from April 2023 to April 2025.
Here’s what they discovered:
- These posts gained over 221 million views.
- Nearly all went unlabeled and unchallenged — no fact-checks, no warnings, no corrections.
- Some of the most extreme lies — like the idea that natural disasters were caused by “weather weapons” — were given huge platforms, even after real tragedies.
One of the most troubling examples came from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who claimed the Texas floods were caused by government interference. His posts weren’t hidden or flagged. They were amplified.
Who’s Behind It?
It turns out that many of these misleading posts came from verified users. On Twitter, that blue checkmark, once meant to help people spot reliable voices, is now, on X, being sold and used by those spreading misinformation.
- 88% of the false posts on X came from verified users.
- 73% on YouTube, and 64% on Meta (Facebook and Instagram).
One of the most high-profile figures in the study is Alex Jones, a far-right media personality and conspiracy theorist best known for his website InfoWars. Jones has promoted numerous false claims over the years — including that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. For these and other violations of platform policies on hate speech, harassment, and misinformation, he was banned from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter between 2018 and 2020.
However, Jones returned to X (formerly Twitter) after the platform reinstated several previously banned accounts in 2023. During the LA wildfires in 2025, Jones used his X account to spread false claims that FEMA was confiscating food and that the fires were part of a “globalist plot.” His wildfire-related posts received over 408 million views — more than FEMA and 10 major news outlets combined during that period.
Even when banned users like Jones couldn’t post directly on some platforms, their false messages lived on. Others reposted their claims or created content that echoed their talking points. On YouTube, for example, 1 in 3 misleading videos led to more misleading videos through the “Up Next” panel.
Why It’s Dangerous
It’s easy to think, “People won’t believe that stuff.” But the truth is, misinformation can cause real harm — especially during emergencies.
- Some victims avoid seeking aid, believing false claims that disaster relief is only given to certain groups.
- First responders have been threatened after lies spread about their efforts.
- A man in Oklahoma vandalized a weather radar system, thinking it was part of a weather-control conspiracy.
And the consequences don’t stop there. A cloud seeding company received over 100 death threats due to false claims linking it to the floods.
How Big Is the Problem?
The reach of misinformation is staggering.
- Alex Jones’ posts about the LA wildfires alone received 408 million views on X. That’s more than FEMA and 10 major news outlets combined during the same period.
- In the week following the Texas floods, false posts blaming cloud seeding or climate hoaxes racked up 8.4 million views — without a single fact-check.
These lies are spreading faster than the truth. That’s a big problem.
What Needs to Change
We need to expect more from social media platforms. Here’s what the CCDH report found:
- Less than 2% of false posts were labeled or fact-checked.
- Platforms are still profiting — through ads, subscriptions, and increased engagement — even when the content is dangerous.
That means the current system rewards outrage and falsehoods, not truth. And when disaster strikes, that business model puts people at risk.
What You Can Do
We don’t need to wait for platforms to act. Each of us has a role to play in slowing the spread of dangerous misinformation.
Here are a few simple actions we can take:
- Follow trusted sources like FEMA, your local emergency services, and reliable news outlets.
- Think before sharing: If something sounds too wild to be true, double-check it first.
- Report harmful posts that spread misinformation during emergencies.
Collectively, taking these small steps helps us help our communities stay informed and safe.
Summing Up
The next hurricane, wildfire, or flood isn’t a matter of if — it’s when. And in those crucial hours, the difference between truth and lies could mean life or death.
That’s why it’s so important to demand better from platforms — and do our part to protect each other. Let’s make sure the next time disaster strikes, facts come first.
Source: Center for Countering Digital Hate. (2025). Extreme Weather: How social media platforms profit from climate denial and misinformation during disasters. https://counterhate.com/research/extreme-weather-false-claims/
