Fact Check: Claims That Hurricane Milton Was Geoengineered

There's no evidence that Hurricane Milton was the product of geoengineering, as some, including elected officials, have claimed. 

What Proponents Say: Some cite circumstantial evidence, such as government documents about geoengineering, and focus on how the hurricanes primarily hit conservative states, suggesting the purported geoengineering targeted Republicans. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration article celebrating the “70th anniversary of the first hurricane seeding experiment” describes how some leading personnel believed modification of 1947’s Hurricane King caused the storm to make a “135-degree left turn” and strengthen before making landfall. A 1997 U.S. Air Force research paper titled “Owning the Weather in 2025” detailed “how weather-modification might become both technically feasible and socially desirable by 2025,” including “influencing clouds and precipitation, storm intensity, climate, space, or fog.”

What Deniers Say: Many denounced these as conspiracy theories, citing scientists who say no technology exists to influence hurricanes. Some pointed to climate change as a driver of the storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency called the false claims “demoralizing” to aid workers.

How the Media Covered It: Media on the left tended to highlight scientists pushing back on geoengineering, and more often framed the storms as a result of climate change. Outlets on the right like Townhall (Right bias) were more likely to avoid these “far left ‘fact checks’ that cherry-pick sources of information to arrive at a predetermined outcome in advance.” The New York Times (Lean Left bias) highlighted so-called conspiracy theorists and climate change deniers who are joining with environmentalists and climate change activists in opposition to geoengineering.