With any hurricane comes an influx of false information about the storms. Here are a few tips to help you avoid falling victim to any of the misinformation.
Poynter.Org put together '9 Tips to Avoid Spreading Misinformation About Hurricanes'
1. Get All of Your Weather Information From the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service
With storm news constantly breaking, you want to ensure that your sources are the most reliable. The National Hurricane Center posts updated forecasts and projection models several times throughout the day.
The National Weather Service is also a good source for hurricane maps, evacuation notices, or any storm-related information you may need. If you follow other news sources for your information, ensure that they use forecasts and projection models from either of these two sources.
2. Know Basic Facts About Hurricanes
Don't ever believe things like a storm becoming a Category 6. Believe it or not, that false information circulates every time a hurricane comes around. Also, cone maps! Let's educate ourselves on cone maps. You see them on the weather updates, and you may think that the point of a cone is to show where the storm's center will be. Well, that's not true. The purpose of a cone map is to represent where the storm COULD go based on past forecasts. They do not indicate how big the storm is.
Also, the category of a hurricane doesn't necessarily indicate the level of danger a storm may be, but it's to show the hurricane's wind speed.
3. Don't Believe Everything a Spaghetti Model Shows
Those spaghetti models are seen during every storm, and sometimes, some of that data isn't the most up-to-date. When dealing with hurricanes, it's best to stick with data provided by the NHC.
4. Reverse Image Search & Fact Check Viral Videos
Does a shark swimming down your street after a hurricane seem a little too crazy to be true? It probably is. Just because there is a photo of something does NOT make it accurate. If you're on Google Chrome, you can right-click any picture and hit 'Search Google for Image' to see where the image has been published.
Maybe... MAYBE there is a shark swimming down your street, or perhaps there IS a loch-ness-like monster swimming in the bay. But, to be sure, always double-check!
You can also use TinEye to reverse image search any photo.
The same goes for videos as well. InVid lets you paste a Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook link to a video and then parse its keyframes. Avoid sharing it on social media if you think it's too crazy to be true.
5. Not Every Storm is a Record-Setting Storm
People love to incite panic when a storm is coming. Although you should take these storms seriously, make sure not to believe everything you see. Not every storm is a record-setter. You'll likely hear it or see someone online claiming that the approaching storm may be the 'deadliest' or 'biggest' hurricane ever. Again, before sharing that information, confirm it's accurate.
6. Not Everyone In The Storm's Path Needs To Evacuate
Know your evacuation zone and pay attention to evacuation orders! Listen to your local officials and keep an eye on the latest orders. Your local county website should tell you whether you are under an evacuation order.
Read more about ways to avoid falling victim to hurricane misinformation HERE.