FACT CHECK: Does Viral Video Depict HAARP-Created Clouds Ahead of Hurricane Milton?

October 7th, 2024

A post made on X claims that HAARP created Hurricane Milton and the post’s attached video claims to depict dark clouds ahead of Hurricane Milton.

 

Verdict: False
Credible evidence shows that the depicted clouds are naturally formed. The post’s video is from 2021.

Fact Check:

Florida is preparing for another major hurricane, Hurricane Milton, just two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought record flooding to the state, according to the Tampa Bay Times. (RELATED: Did North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Not Activate National Guard In Response To Helene?)

A post made on X claims that The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) created Hurricane Milton. The caption reads, “HAARP Created Hurricane Milton Harris! This is what Geo Engineering looks like!”

There is no evidence that this claim is true. Check Your Fact found no credible outlets reporting that HAARP created Hurricane Milton. Science Feedback –an outlet that has scientists review social media claims– have reviewed the post and concluded that the post’s attached video depicts mammatus and asperitas clouds—which are natural cloud formations and not as a result of HAARP.

Furthermore, the video included with the post was originally uploaded to Facebook in June 2021, more than three years before the current hurricane. The captions reads, “Spectacular asperitas clouds over Fort Walton Beach, Florida. These wave-shaped clouds don’t produce rainfall, but have been linked to thunderstorms.”

Check Your Fact has reached out to HAARP for comment.

Alexia Bianchi

Contributor