Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
As Hurricane Milton moved away from Florida, misinformation about a Hurricane Nadine made landfall
If Your Time is short
-
This image is from news coverage prior to Hurricane Helene and shows the projected trajectory of the storm when it was still a potential tropical cyclone.
-
The next hurricane could be called Nadine but the National Hurricane Center was monitoring no such storm as of Oct. 10.
Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the southeastern United States in late September, and now some Americans are bracing for another deadly storm.
"Hurricane Nadine is now coming next week 10/18/24," an Oct. 10 Threads post said. "Looks like the same path as Helene."
The post included an image of a "First Alert Weather" map that says "Tropical Tracker" and shows the projected trajectory of a storm with wind gusts of up to 130 miles per hour.
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
Featured Fact-check
The next hurricane could be called Nadine — it’s the next name on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2024 list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names — but NOAA was not monitoring any such storm as of Oct. 10, much less forecasting it would follow the same path as Helene.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
Which brings us to the image of the weather map. The projected trajectory looks like the same path as Helene because it is an image of Hurricane Helene’s projected trajectory.
WWSB, an ABC News affiliate in Sarasota, Florida, published the image on its website Sept. 23, when Hurricane Helene was still a potential tropical cyclone and had not yet been upgraded to a tropical storm or hurricane.
We rate claims this image shows the projected trajectory for a hurricane called Nadine False.
Our Sources
Threads post, Oct. 10, 2024
Facebook post, Oct. 10, 2024
National Hurricane Center, Atlantic 2-Day Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook, visited Oct. 10, 2024
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA predicts above-normal 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, May 23, 2024
National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Helene: September 26-27, 2024, visited Oct. 10, 2024
The Associated Press, Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues, Oct. 5, 2024
Savannah Business Journal, Sept. 24 - Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 upgraded to Tropical Storm Helene, Sept. 24, 2024
WWSB, 11PM Update: Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 expected to become a tropical storm on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
As Hurricane Milton moved away from Florida, misinformation about a Hurricane Nadine made landfall
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.