As Hurricane Erin prompts mandatory evacuations for Hyde and Dare counties, officials warn of rapidly spreading AI-generated images and misinformation on social media.
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Multiple AI-generated images related to Hurricane Erin are rapidly being shared online. Emergency management teams are cautioning the public from being caught in the spread of misinformation.
Coastal towns across Hyde and Dare counties are under a mandatory evacuation as Category 2 Hurricane Erin is forecasted to bring coastal flooding, life-threatening surf conditions and dangerous rip currents.
Officials in Dare County are warning people about misinformation and AI-generated images and videos about evacuations spreading on social media. Because of the severity of the warnings, Dare County, in a Facebook post, encouraged residents and people to “get facts, not frenzy.”
“Misinformation spreads quicker than storms,” Dare County stated in a Facebook post Monday.
The county said that there are already several Facebook accounts showing fake images and videos of horses being evacuated from beaches and people traveling down the shore with bags in their hands.
WRAL found a Facebook page that seems to be filled with AI-generated images and videos of different situations at North Carolina beaches.
Recent photos and videos make light of the serious situations happening on the coast, with some showing cars being airlifted by helicopters and a family saying that since they can’t evacuate, they will bury themselves in their favorite beach instead.
While the content on the Coastal Views Facebook page makes light of the evacuation notices, it's important to note the photos and videos are not an accurate description of what’s happening on the coast.
Emergency management officials warn that tourists and those not familiar with hurricanes and their consequences may take the images at face value.
Coastal counties are encouraging people to go to trusted, known sources for information about storm safety, warnings, evacuation routes and when and where it is safe to return. They emphasized double-checking news sources and to not just blindly trust anything that pops up on social media feeds.
The best way to stay informed without encountering false information is checking the websites and social media of local governments and the National Weather Service.
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