FEMA is not providing aid, nor is it blocking citizens from helping or assisting in the recovery of survivors of the Maui wildfires
Many of the rumors and conspiracy theories circulating about FEMA are old and also surfaced during last year’s wildfires in Maui. Among the old chestnuts is the debunked claim that FEMA only offers $750 in aid – in fact, that’s just one grant program. FEMA is not allowed to seize land from survivors, and this is a false claim. FEMA funds are being used to help non citizens vote, as well as to shore up the border, were claims merged with anti-immigrant stories that have been a part of the presidential campaign.
FEMA says that one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent tech backers, Elon Musk, contributed to the misinformation. FEMA is blocking citizens who try to help, according to Musk. FEMA’s acting director for response and recovery told ABC it was not true. FEMA can’t prevent anyone from helping or assisting. We do not confiscate supplies and use them for other purposes. We don’t do the opposite.
As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, Christina Pushaw, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary took to social media to rebuke one viral falsehood that urged people not to evacuate so as to protect their property from FEMA: “Spreading LIES like this could have serious consequences.” She urged people to follow directions to evacuate.
Facebook, Twitter, Hurricanes, and the FEMA Rumor Control Page: Communication in the Context of Government, Government, and Nonprofits
“One of my biggest recommendations to social media consumers is the necessity now to go back to the original source … of the digital information that they’re consuming and to verify the information there before passing it on to the members of their social community,” said Stewart.
Rebecca Rouse, a former FEMA staffer who now teaches emergency and security studies, said they encouraged everyone to check out the rumor control website.
Rouse sent the rumor control page out to friends and family, while her contacts have shared it with entire listservs of faith leaders, elected officials and nonprofit workers.
The Texas winter storms, the New Mexico wildfires, and the Maui wildfires are the only four major disasters that have their own rumor control pages.
Margaret Stewart, a professor at the University of North Florida and creator of the crisis communication framework she recommends to government and businesses alike said that improving the public’s media literacy should be part of the solution.
In 2012 social media began to become important. Haddow pointed out that there was a rumor about a shark swimming in the subway system during Hurricane Sandy.
“We had folks that spent all day watching TV and listening to the radio that they heard something that we thought was troubling that wasn’t true. We go out there and try [to] correct it.” said Haddow, the former Clinton-era FEMA official, of how the agency responded in the 1990s.
Even on a good day navigating the U.S. recovery system can be difficult, according to an assistant professor of emergency management. Adding misinformation on top of that is really hurting survivors who need access to that funding.
Nunn said, if they have questions, they should call back, either using the FEMA number of 1-800-222-3435, or 3362 spelling FEMA. Call that number. We’re going to tell you right away that that’s not true.
Baseless stories on social media have arisen in the last several weeks, many of which blame FEMA for being a part of the federal government. On X, formerly Twitter, the same rumors and narratives are following the agency as it prepares for Milton.
The rumor that FEMA grants have to be repaid is one that surfaces the most often over the years, said Nunn, who says that the agency runs a hotline to help people figure out their eligibility and register for aid, and that he has personally gone door to door to tell survivors to sign up.