Be Wary of AI Videos as Hurricane Melissa Hits Jamaica. How to Spot a Fake
As Category 5 Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica with winds topping 180 mph, social media is hit with a wave of Misleading and AI-generated videosshowing catastrophic flooding, collapsed buildings and rescue scenes that never happened.
On X, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, fake clips spread quickly, racking up millions of views within hours. Many of these videos are footage from past storms or clips created entirely with text-to-video conversion AI tools.
In times of crisis, such as during a dangerous and impending natural disaster, these fake videos can create confusion, panic and distraction at a time when accuracy can save lives.
Natural disasters have always spawned rumors and recycled images, but the rise of AI-generated video has made the problem worse. Tools like Sora from OpenAI and other AI video platforms can render realistic images of storms, floods and damage scenes in seconds, reaching millions of people online in just hours.
Learn more: Deepfakes win. How do I know if a video is real or Sora AI?
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Why storms attract fake news
Storms are visual, emotional and fast-moving, which is the perfect recipe for viral misinformation. In years past, videos were often taken out of context or referred to as a different storm. Now they can be made digitally from scratch.
Some describe apocalyptic floods that did not occur, while others claim to show “real-time” conditions hours before landfall. Several videos circulating this week include images of sharks swimming in storm surge and disturbing depictions of human suffering.
Fake videos like these can exaggerate the danger of the storm, create panic, undermine trust and distract emergency workers, as misinformation distracts from verified reports.
The following three videos are all fake. They are labeled (albeit briefly) with the Sora watermark, which indicates that they were created in OpenAI’s video generator.
How to separate truth from fiction online
When social media fills up with dramatic hurricane clips, it’s important to separate truth from fiction.
“A lot of judgment needs to be exercised,” said Senator Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Minister of Information. “You have to distinguish good information from bad. If you want to know where the storm is going, if you want to know what to do, you have to look for official sources.”
Dixon highlighted that the news sites of the Jamaica Information Service, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Office of the Prime Minister page are resources for legitimate and timely updates.
Here are some ways to exercise discernment.
Check the source. If the video comes from an unknown account, doesn’t have a timestamp, or doesn’t have any recognizable media markings, assume it’s fake until verified. Also look for the Sora watermark indicating it was made in the OpenAI app, or read the comments to see if anyone else has flagged the video as fake.
Ask yourself if it’s new and local. Does the geography match Jamaica? Are the images recent? Many of the clips in “Melissa” could actually come from past storms in the Caribbean or Gulf.
Check before you believe. Confirm with trusted media outlets, such as the Jamaica Weather Service and the US National Hurricane Center, or established media outlets such as the BBC, Reuters or Associated Press.
Pause before sharing. A viral video can be harmful if it spreads incorrect information. Wait for a credible source to verify it before reposting it.
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 glimpse into 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 seeking accurate, even life-saving, information.
Learn more: What is Slop AI? Everything you need to know about the terrible content that is invading the Internet
