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As Category 5 Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica with winds of up to 180 mph, social media is being hit by a major hurricane blast. Misleading videos generated by artificial intelligenceThey show catastrophic floods, collapsed buildings, and scenes of rescues that never happened.
Across X, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, fake clips spread quickly, garnering millions of views in hours. Many of these videos are split shots from previous storms or clips created entirely with Artificial intelligence tools to convert text to video.
In times of crisis, such as serious and impending natural disasters, these fake videos can create confusion, panic and distraction at a time when accuracy can be life-saving.
Natural disasters have always generated rumors and recycled footage, but the rise of AI-generated videos has exacerbated the problem. Tools like OpenAI Sora Other AI video platforms can display realistic images of storms, floods and scenes of destruction in seconds, reaching millions online within a few hours.
Read more: Deepfakes are the winner. How can you tell if a video is real or Sora AI?
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Why storms are a magnet for fake news
Visual, emotional, and fast-moving storms are the perfect recipe for viral misinformation. In past years, videos have often been taken out of context or labeled as a different storm. Now, they can be manufactured digitally from scratch.
Some depict horrific flooding that never happened, while others claim to show “real-time” conditions hours before landfall. Many of the videos circulating this week include images of sharks swimming through storms and disturbing images of human suffering.
False videos like these can amplify storm danger, create panic, undermine trust, and distract emergency responders, as misinformation draws attention from verified reports.
The following three videos are all fake. It has been labeled (albeit briefly) with the Sora watermark, indicating that it was created in OpenAI’s video generator.
How to separate fact from fiction online
When social media pages are filled with dramatic hurricane clips, it’s important to separate fact from fiction.
“You have to be very discerning,” said Senator Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s information minister. He said. “You have to know what’s good information from bad information. If you want to know where the storm is headed, if you want to know what to do, you need to look to official sources.”
Dixon stressed that the Jamaica Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management information websites and the Prime Minister’s Office page are resources for legitimate and timely updates.
Here are some ways to differentiate.
Check the source. If the video comes from an unfamiliar account, lacks a timestamp or doesn’t have any recognizable media branding, assume it’s fake until verified. Also look for Sora’s watermark indicating it was produced in the OpenAI app, or read the comments to see if someone else has flagged the video as fake.
Ask yourself if it is new and local. Does the geography match Jamaica? Is the footage recent? Many of the “Melissa” clips could be from previous storms in the Caribbean or Gulf.
Check before you believe. Confirm through trusted outlets, such as the Jamaica and United States Meteorological Service National Hurricane CenterOr well-known media such as BBC, Reuters or Associated Press.
Pause before sharing. A viral video can cause harm if it spreads misinformation. Wait for a trusted source to verify this before reposting.
Go local. If you are in the affected area, rely on local emergency agencies, radio stations and city or county officials for evacuation and safety updates.
Monitor official alerts. For real-time instructions, stick to government channels and local emergency feeds. Your safety depends on accurate information, not viral content.
As AI-generated media becomes easier to produce, hurricanes like Melissa offer a preview of a new reality: one in which you can’t trust much of the information you see online.
Staying safe means being skeptical and diligent when searching for accurate and even life-saving news.
Read more: What is AI slope? Everything you need to know about the terrible content spreading online
