At least 13 people died in Hurricane Milton amid growing campaign of rumors about disaster management

Number of victims after the storm Milton Landslides continued to grow on Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Spain) as rescue operations progressed in Florida. At the moment, 13 deaths have already been recorded, six of which occurred as a result of tornadoes that formed on the east coast of the peninsula before the storm arrived. Emergency teams also work amid the devastation caused by the storm and against misinformation campaigns that have spread through networks in recent weeks.

since the storm Helen The landslide, which struck on September 26 and killed more than 200 people as it swept through Florida, the two Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia, has flooded networks with rumors about survivors and the federal government’s handling of the tragedy. Now, after the destruction of MiltonWhich has left more than three million households without electricity, the threat of misinformation growing has only increased.

Although some of the lies have come from Internet forums, others have come from the mouth of former President Donald Trump. One of the lies Trump has told that has had the most impact is that his great ally, Elon Musk – owns a disaster budget to provide aid to illegal immigrants. This claim is absolutely false, as migrant aid and the emergency budget are two completely different funds. The State Department cannot transfer money from one place to another.

With less than 30 days left for the election, Trump and his people want to use the damage caused by the storm to attack President Joe Biden’s image and in turn harm the campaign of Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris . During the press conference after his death Milton As for Florida, Biden has already warned that “it will be a long road to a full rebuild” and harshly criticized Republicans for continuing to contribute to misinformation. “Trump, get a life, man. Help these people,” Biden said, addressing Republicans directly from the lectern.

In recent times, organizations such as the American Red Cross have also come forward to refute conspiracy theories and hoaxes circulating online. In a post published on Facebook a few days after the passage of HelenThe Red Cross cited a series of deceptions such as “the Red Cross is not on the ground” or that “the Red Cross is confiscating or throwing away donations.” The same entity warned how these types of lies make rescue operations difficult and put survivors at risk, in addition to making volunteers targets of attacks.

The conspiracy theories seen these days range from hurricane to hurricane Helen It was created with the intention of allowing lithium mining in North Carolina until disaster struck so the Democrats could win the election. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s most loyalists, has even said on two occasions that the government can control the climate. Pyra Technologies Company has discovered this during the storm Milton Some very cheaters that were used Helenaccording to new York Times,

This Thursday, Biden spoke by phone with Republican Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who, like Trump, has been spreading rumors about migrants. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president was focused on explaining how the federal government could help Florida officials respond to the storm. Milton

And “He’s been very clear about what he thinks about misinformation.”

despite this Milton Florida has been left as a category one hurricane, with officials on alert along the East Coast due to possible torrential rains and storm surge. “Roads are flooded and there is still potential for dangerous conditions. “Don’t walk or drive through them,” warned Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Work is also being done to try to return power to the more than 3 million homes and buildings that remain without power. before the arrival of MiltonDue to the consequences of HelenThe federal government had already declared a state of emergency in Florida.

The storm is estimated to cause damage of up to $60 billion. Heavy rainfall in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties from Wednesday to Thursday left up to 17 inches of water overnight. In the city of St. Petersburg, the cyclone also blew off the roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium. You could see the pieces in the nets flying away in the wind.

before he arrives MiltonFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the stadium was being renovated as an operations center where emergency personnel and cleanup crews could rest after the long days of work expected after hurricane season has passed. In total it was expected to seat about 10,000 people. DeSantis has already confirmed that there was “no state property” at the stadium the night of the storm.