BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

Hurricane Irma: Not everybody falls for fake news

  • Published
    11 September 2017
Share page
About sharing
A Facebook Live claiming to show a double tornado approaching Florida was part of hurricane Irma was actually footage from at least 2007.Image source, Facebook
Image caption,

A Facebook Live claiming to show a double tornado approaching Florida was actually footage from at least 2007.

ByGeorgina Rannard
BBC UGC and Social News

Fake news has come hand-in-hand with Hurricane Irma - yesterday even the White House fell for it.

Incorrect scientific information, fake Facebook lives, and old footage claiming to show Hurricane Irma have been circulating online for almost two weeks.

Some were clearly hoaxes, while others appear to be based on genuine misunderstandings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency even created and tweeted, external their own 'rumour control' list, external to help people verify information.

But not everyone has been duped.

  • Hurricane Irma: No such thing as category six storm

  • Live updates: Hurricane Irma

White House rumours

On Sunday Mr Scavino, external - US President Donald Trump's director of social media at the White House - tweeted videos and pictures showing the impact of Irma on Florida.

He said he was showing them to President Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence, including a striking image claiming to show Miami International Airport underwater.

Within minutes of posting, the airport corrected Mr Scavino, tweeting "this video is not from Miami International Airport."

...Image source, @Scavino45

Mr Scavino later deleted his tweet, thanking the airport for the correction, external.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post by Miami Int'l Airport

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post by Miami Int'l Airport

Dishwasher valuables

People have been sharing tips on coping with hurricane flooding, including advising people to store their valuables in their dishwashers in the belief such machines would be waterproof. Some residents directly affected by Irma shared the advice, but some social media users doubted its wisdom.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 2 by Christina Wilkie

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 2 by Christina Wilkie

Fox Sports reporter Kristen Hewitt suggested in a blog post and Facebook live video, external on 5 September that the dishwasher is a "great waterproof safe in case of emergency" for important documents.

The same advice was also circulated in a top tips list on Twitter on 5 and 6 September.

Detail of Twitter post of top tips: "6. All important docs screenshot & send to your email. Take originals in sealed bags or plastic bins. Store a few valuables in your dishwasher and lock it in case of flooding."Image source, Twitter

The advice was posted on Facebook groups set up by those affected by the hurricane, including in the British Virgin Islands where Irma caused widespread devastation.

Facebook post: "Just read some good advice to use your dishwasher washing machine and dryer as a safe storage space for documents and photos"Image source, Facebook

Some residents appeared to take the advice. "A fabulous idea, thanks so much," one person replied, while another commented "good idea".

A Facebook post sharing pictures of document folders and wedding photos stacked inside dishwasher trays was shared more than 1.2m times, external, but many users were sceptical.

"Keep reading that this is a bad idea," commented Facebook user Jennifer Johnson Roach, and others shared an article by fact-checking website Snopes which advised against the practice, external.

Richard Branson assaulted by looters?

Richard BransonImage source, Virgin.Com
Image caption,

Sir Richard Branson was injured in a bike crash in August 2016

On Monday morning, fake reports circulated of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson having been assaulted following a robbery by looters at his home in the British Virgin Islands.

The report was published on a website with URL houstonchronicle-tv.com, appearing to pose as regional US newspaper the Houston Chronicle (but when users click on the article the site is called Houston News). The story uses photographs of Sir Richard from a bike crash in August 2016.

"Very disturbing news, we wish him speedy recovery," one Facebook user wrote.

But another replied "more fake news," and a third person posted a link to the 2016 news story.

You may also like:

  • Rohingya crisis: What's behind these 1.2 million tweets?

  • Imam in Storm Harvey fake news never visited Texas

  • Sharks, underwater airplanes, bragging looters: The fake news about Harvey

Fake videos

Social media users have also been quick to debunk videos around the hurricane.

When the river surged in to downtown Miami - that many people caught on video and correctly described - several posts wrongly claimed the footage showed flooded roads in the city.

"That is not the road! That is the bay! It is the water! I grew up there," replied @MagnoliaEmporia, external to one such post.

The same footage was shared more than 2,500 times but was debunked within an hour on Sunday when shared by @FreeMindcouk, external. Many of the comments pointed out it was misleading.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post 3 by Mikhail D.

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of X post 3 by Mikhail D.

A Facebook Live video shared and watched over 500,000 times on Saturday from Facebook page The Best American Offers claimed to show a double tornado approaching Florida. "Hurricane Irma approaches," it warned.

A Facebook Live claiming to show a double tornado approaching Florida was part of hurricane Irma was actually footage from at least 2007.Image source, Facebook
Image caption,

A Facebook Live claiming to show a double tornado approaching Florida was part of hurricane Irma was actually footage from at least 2007.

However the video dates from at least 2007., external and appears to be of a storm near the Isle of Elba, in the Mediterranean Sea, in 2006.

"This is a fake news page," one user warned. But others said the video made them fear the arrival of the hurricane in Florida.

What you can do to check for fake news

So whether you read, repeat or repost news, here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Have I heard of the publisher before?

  • Is this the source I think it is, or does it sound a bit like them?

  • Can I point to where this happened on a map?

  • Has this been reported elsewhere?

  • Is there more than one piece of evidence for this claim?

  • Could this be something else?

More on this story

  • Hurricane Irma blasts Florida coast

    • Published
      11 September 2017
    A man wades across a flooded street in Miami, Florida, 10 September
  • Hurricane Irma batters Florida. Video, 00:01:15Hurricane Irma batters Florida

    • Published
      11 September 2017
    1:15
    Buildings surrounded by water
  • Richard Branson's Caribbean home ruined

    • Published
      11 September 2017
    Richard Branson
  • How to report fake news to social media

    • Published
      22 November 2016
    Fake news screengrab

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Israeli cabinet to vote on Gaza deal that would bring ceasefire and hostages' release 'within days'

    • 15027 viewing15k viewing
  • What we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal

    • Published
      42 minutes ago
  • Jeremy Bowen: There's now a realistic chance of ending the war - but it's not over yet

    • Published
      24 minutes ago

More to explore

  • Stars, secrets and slip-ups: Celebrity Traitors is off to a cracking start

    Alan Carr on the Celebrity Traitors, sitting in an armchair and smiling
  • Young children taking knives to school, BBC finds

    Graphic: Knives in foreground, in background children sitting at school desks.
  • 'It was like a movie' - How immigration raid on Chicago apartments unfolded

    Image of law enforcement officer pointing a gun, with sparks in the background
  • Inside the room where Nobel Peace Prize is decided – but will Trump get his wish?

    Members of the Nobel Peace Prize committee and secretary sit around a table in the room where they make their decision
  • 'I missed a £100 council tax bill while in hospital – the debt ballooned to £6k'

    A young man, with long dark brown hair and a brown beard and moustache , sits next to a hospital bed. He has a bandage on his neck.
  • My eating disorder made me good at lying, says Victoria Beckham

    Victoria Beckham waves while wearing a white suit with other people in the background as she attends the Victoria Beckham premiere in London on Wednesday.
  • The battle for Scotland's flag: Why the right has adopted the saltire

    A man raises his fist while standing in front of a group of people waving flags, including saltires and a union flag.
  • Would leaving the ECHR really 'stop the boats'?

    Montage image showing Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch and Sir Keir Starmer
  • The Upbeat newsletter: Start your week on a high with uplifting stories delivered to your inbox

    A graphic of a wave in the colours of yellow, amber and orange against a pink sky
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Man who appealed Pelicot rape conviction handed longer jail term

  2. 2

    Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood charged with four counts of rape

  3. 3

    My eating disorder made me good at lying, says Victoria Beckham

  4. 4

    Alleged McCann stalker creepy, Maddie's sister says

  5. 5

    America's top banker sounds warning on US stock market fall

  6. 6

    'I missed a £100 council tax bill while in hospital – the debt ballooned to £6k'

  7. 7

    Ten Met Police officers facing fast-tracked misconduct hearings

  8. 8

    Water bills to rise further for millions after appeal

  9. 9

    Five ways abolishing stamp duty could change the housing market

  10. 10

    What we know about the Gaza ceasefire deal

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

The Celebrity Traitors

  • An all-star cast enters the ultimate game of deceit

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    The Celebrity Traitors has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    The Celebrity Traitors
  • All the betrayal and drama unpacked

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked
  • Meet the Celebrity Traitors as the mind games begin

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    The Celebrity Traitors has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    The Celebrity Traitors
  • A treacherously good version of a pop classic

    • Attribution
      iPlayer

    Added to Watchlist
    BBC Proms has been added to your iPlayer Watchlist.
    BBC Proms 2025: Britney Spears
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.