Hurricane Helene devastated southeastern states, killing at least 180 people with hundreds still missing. The “biblical devastation” to some of these areas, particularly in North Carolina, has prompted some TikTok users to spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the catastrophe that are reaching millions of users.
The most prominent conspiracy theory circulating on TikTok about Hurricane Helene claims that the storm was not a natural occurrence but engineered in order to devastate North Carolina and create access to the land for lithium mining.
“Can I say what I find suspicious as shit?” said one user in a video with over 1.8 million views, “That one of the areas affected by Hurricane Helene is the world’s largest lithium deposit and the DOD just entered into an agreement with this company right here to mine lithium for electric cars starting in 2025. Now that area is completely devastated.”
Another video with over 119,000 views stated that the hurricane was a “weather modified storm to displace the residents of western N. Carolina so a land grab can take place.”
One user explicitly encouraged viewers to look up the conspiracy theory, saying, “Just look up flooding and lithium and discover the rabbit hole you go down.” The video has over 204,900 views.
The absurd lithium claim is also spreading off of TikTok, including among prominent right-wing conspiracy theorists like Stew Peters.
Another variety of conspiracy theory is also emerging, with one user claiming that “cloud seeding gone wrong” caused the hurricane. The video has over 514,700 views.
According to the Desert Research Institute, cloud seeding is a “weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow.”
Another video featuring a clearly AI-generated image of former President Donald Trump wading through flood waters is even circulating, with overlaid text reading “this is our president right here.” The video has over 2.8 million views. The image originally circulated on Meta and was debunked by PolitiFact.
Conspiracy theories tend to spike after natural disasters, and Helene is no exception. TikTok’s algorithm seems to be helping spread them, fueling panic and uncertainty among users.
