Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday described the flurry of misinformation online about the hurricanes devastating parts of the U.S. as “extremely pernicious,” warning that it’s hindering efforts to assist those affected by the storms.
During an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Mayorkas said the false information is “deliberately spread to impact people’s behavior and perceptions.”
“It is extremely pernicious,” he added. “We have individuals in need of assistance, who are entitled to assistance, who aren’t seeking it because of the false information.”
Mayorkas called for officials to debunk the false claims because “we’re not seeing enough of that.”
“I find that to be incredibly irresponsible and irresponsible to the people who are survivors of these extreme weather events,” he said.
The false claims began late last month, shortly after Helene hit Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. The storm left widespread destruction and an extensive recovery effort for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Mayorkas and other officials have been vocal in debunking the misinformation on the storms, particularly after former President Trump baselessly claimed the government is purposely withholding aid from Republican hurricane victims while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is redirecting disaster relief funds to migrants.
Mayorkas said last week FEMA has the necessary resources to respond to the storms.
False information about government assistance and the weather’s origin were among some of the most shared claims on social media.
In response to the flurry of false claims, FEMA created a page titled “Hurricane Rumor Response,” for users to see debunked rumors about the agency’s response.
