Following hurricanes, Floridians are now grappling with false reports of another storm on the way.
Disinformation can potentially exacerbate people’s anxieties, which two hurricanes have already frazzled in two weeks. “Disinformation, misinformation is very unsettling for all of us,” said Dr. Delvena Thomas, a South Florida psychiatrist who specializes in PTSD.
“The task of deciphering what is accurate, what is misinformation, what is disinformation can be overwhelming,” she told me. The rumors are growing on social media, where people are doctoring visuals and tracks from prior storms to make them appear real before publishing them.
They’ve also received much feedback, with some people pointing out the lies. The false claims prompted NBC6 Meteorologist Adam Berg to attempt to dispel the falsehoods on NBC6’s social media sites. “You’re seeing people using old Helene, tropical cones, saying this is Nadine coming into the Gulf of Mexico,” according to Berg. “It is just not the way it is happening. Be very careful how you consume your information.”
Experts say relying on your preferred genuine news sources for accurate information is always advisable. “People create these posts about disinformation because they want to see the drama,” according to Dr. Thomas. “Those people must stop and ask themselves: Are they happy? Do they have a positive attitude toward life? And I propose that those people consult a mental health professional.”
