RICHMOND, Va. -- In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Garren Shipley knows how tough it can be to get a message out 500 miles from his hometown in Washington County, Tennessee, especially when his message of relief is overshadowed by rumors.
"I'm doing everything I can to help folks with disaster aid down there right now," Shipley, whose day job is at the Virginia General Assembly, said. "Trying to convince people that what they're seeing on social media is wrong or it's an exaggeration, it's tough. One of the things that first perked up and got my attention about this was a rumor that FEMA, or the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, or whatever state agency was involved, was going around and confiscating supplies that had been put together by local relief efforts."
Using his hometown connections, Shipley was able to debunk that rumor and others spread on social media.
"The response was unanimous, no, that's not happening. That's not remotely what's happening," he said. "These tales, they take off, and in the absence of good information, bad information grows exponentially."
As communities recover following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, false accusations aimed at the Red Cross can hurt efforts.
"If they don't trust the relief that's coming from organizations like the Red Cross, it makes it harder for them to recover, as well," Red Cross spokesperson Jonathan McNamara said.
Federal agencies like FEMA have even launched their own rumor response websites to address similar misinformation.
This week Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) called the Commonwealth's response to the disaster critical to not only stopping the spread of misinformation but also getting people what they need sooner, encouraging victims of the hurricanes to continue applying for FEMA assistance.
"We are using, I think, the best process, which is to put people on the ground to answer questions directly and speak to [the media] frequently, so that you can help us get out the word about how to apply for help where it's available, and most importantly, that we care," Youngkin said.
FEMA asked people to stay properly informed by finding trusted sources of information, sharing information from trusted sources, and discouraging others from sharing information from unverified sources.
"You have to meet people where they are right now," Shipley said. "We're all on the same team. You know this isn't political. Every little bit you can do to try to get people back on the same team, helping people, that's what matters."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
EAT IT, VIRGINIA restaurant news and interviews
