From CNN:
Local officials and relief agencies working in communities impacted by Hurricane Helene are urging residents to verify the information they are sharing or repeating, saying a deluge of false rumors is hindering recovery efforts.
The hurricane tore a destructive path through the southeastern United States a week ago, killing more than 200 people, plunging some rural communities into isolation and leaving tens of thousands in need of aid. Like in past disasters, disrupted lines of communication and a dearth of immediately verifiable information have led some to latch onto – or invent – stories and rumors that provide explanations to questions that might not immediately be answerable, experts and officials say.