Extreme weather fuels misinformation at scale, undermining disaster response

Climate events are creating ideal conditions for false narratives to outpace official information. Unverified storm damage videos spread faster than emergency alerts, and conspiracy theories about weather manipulation exploit public confusion during crisis moments. Misinformation delays evacuation compliance, disrupts resource allocation, and erodes trust in institutions precisely when coordinated response capacity is most critical—turning information chaos into a public safety liability that compounds physical disaster.