Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate circulates false Hurricane Helene claims debunked by FEMA

Eric Hovde, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, has been circulating false claims about Hurricane Helene that federal officials are urging people to stop spreading. 

"FEMA is out of money and doesn't have money to transfer to those people affected by the hurricane," Hovde said in an Oct. 3 video on X. "They used the money to assist illegal immigrants."

As of Oct. 7, the post was pinned to the top of Hovde’s profile and had over a quarter of a million views. 

At former President Donald Trump’s Oct. 6 rally in Juneau, Wisconsin, Hovde claimed Vice President Kamala Harris and his opponent, Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, are "not even taking care of our veterans or the people that were devastated by that hurricane." 

Trump, meanwhile, declared that the federal government "is doing nothing." The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has called misinformation spread by Trump and others "ridiculous and just plain false."

The agency launched a webpage to address rumors about the hurricane, a typical response during natural disasters to get critical information to survivors. False information can confuse or prevent people from getting help, FEMA says.

Here’s what FEMA says about claims that Hovde and others have made about Hurricane Helene.

Hovde starts his video by claiming FEMA is "out of money." On the agency’s rumor response website, FEMA says it "has enough money right now for immediate response and recovery needs."

"If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance as there is a variety of help available for different needs," the agency says.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters last week that FEMA can meet all of its current obligations, but will most likely run out of funding before the end of the hurricane season. 

In an Oct. 7 press release, FEMA said federal assistance to Hurricane Helene survivors has surpassed $210 million. The agency is preparing for Hurricane Milton, which is projected to threaten areas still recovering from Helene.

"The agency’s capacity to manage multiple simultaneous disasters ensures that it can continue to prioritize response and recovery efforts for Helene, while also being ready to respond to Milton," the agency said. 

Hovde also claimed the agency ran out of funding because "they used the money to assist illegal immigrants."

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FEMA says "no money is being diverted from disaster response needs," such as international or border-related issues. Disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through a dedicated Disaster Relief Fund.

FEMA does administer the Shelter and Services Program, which supports nonfederal entities providing humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security, according to its website. 

The program has $650 million in funding this year, but that money is separate from disaster relief funds, USA Today reported. 

Hovde’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. 

At the end of his video that includes false claims, Hovde urges people to "please share this with people you know. Get the word out."

FEMA’s rumor webpage asks people to help stop the spread of rumors by finding trusted information sources, sharing information from these trusted sources and discouraging other people from sharing information from unverified sources. 

Survivors can apply for FEMA assistance by calling the helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visiting disasterassistance.gov or downloading FEMA’s app. 

More information on disaster assistance can be found here. Information on Hurricane Milton can be found here. 

In an X video, Hovde claimed FEMA is "out of money" amid Hurricane Helene recovery and the agency "used the money to assist illegal immigrants."

FEMA has debunked both claims, which Trump and other conservatives have spread. FEMA says it has enough money to meet its current needs, but could run out before the end of the hurricane season. 

Although FEMA administers a program that helps migrants, that funding is separate from disaster relief. Money from the Disaster Relief Fund is not being diverted, the agency says. 

We rate Hovde’s claims False.