Truth under siege: Battling misinformation amid growing disasters

As the former head of response and recovery for FEMA, I can attest that we are in unprecedented times. Extreme weather is growing more frequent, severe and expansive, and Hurricanes Helene and Milton serve as the latest stark illustration of this trend.

The numbers don’t lie — during my tenure, severe weather resulted in declarations being approved, on average, every three days, and so far in 2024, it’s now every other day.

With this troubling trend comes another in equal measure — the proliferation of misinformation and lies about the provenance of the weather and wild conspiracies about FEMA’s efforts to help affected communities. This culminated with the threat of violence directed at the public servants trying to assist disaster survivors in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Misinformation is nothing new to disasters, particularly high-profile ones. Conspiracy theories about FEMA have existed for about as long as the agency has been around. What is alarming, however, is the volume and spread of the lies, and their amplification by notable individuals and public figures. The rise in conspiracy theories, claiming our government is behind these disasters to suppress votes or that FEMA disaster funding was used towards undocumented migrants versus the current relief efforts, is dangerous and harmful.

These claims defy reason and are categorically false. They are antithetical to FEMA’s mission to help people before, during and after disasters. The FEMA administrator called the lies “demoralizing” to the communities they serve and her teams in the field supporting them, with good reason. The lies jeopardize recovery for individuals and their communities as well as the safety of the teams executing FEMA’s mission.

If communities believe the lie that FEMA will confiscate their property, will they really apply for the assistance they desperately need from the agency? How will survivors view the FEMA teams that go door-to-door to register them if they don’t trust them? In this divisive season, survivors and their communities have become political pawns, undoubtedly dissuading some from seeking help when they are in desperate need of it.

I have been on the ground with disaster survivors across this country on their toughest days, often in the moments immediately following the tragedy. The trauma is palpable, where the passing of loved ones, neighbors and friends is often compounded by the loss of all worldly possessions. I was in Lahaina in the days following the devastating Maui fire, when the air was still thick with smoke and our search and recovery teams performed the solemn duty of identifying victims to bring their families peace.

It is impossible to overstate the devastation in these moments and the humanity these teams bring to families and communities to help them heal and recover. This is deeply American — to run toward those who need us, to extend a hand to lift someone up.

There was also a significant level of misinformation in the aftermath of the Lahaina fires. Lies that were spread in part by international adversaries to foment distrust in the American government. It is currently unclear what, if any, conspiracies proliferating online are being advanced by nefarious actors trying to sow division. If history is a guide, I’d expect at least some level of foreign influence related to misinformation on Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

While the sheer volume of misinformation is likely to subside after November, the mistruths may endure. Leadership in this moment, more than ever, requires putting people above political or personal gain. This type of selfless leadership is exactly what one sees on the ground after a disaster like Hurricane Helene, when every level of government works side-by-side with non-profit, philanthropic and private sector partners to do all they can to help their fellow Americans.

All levels of governmental officials representing the impacted areas, regardless of affiliation, continue to fight back against misinformation to support their constituents and their recovery. This is what leadership looks like, in a time when survivors and their communities need it most.

Anne Bink served as the associate administrator for Response and Recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency from November 2021 to May 2024. She is currently the director of Mitigation and Resilience at IEM, a nationwide emergency management consulting firm, headquartered in North Carolina.