Cloud seeding conspiracies swirl after deadly Texas floods
Experts debunk claims blaming weather modification for the deluge that has killed over 100
In the aftermath of devastating floods in Texas, social media users have spread misinformation that cloud seeding is to blame. Meteorologists have been quick to debunk the claim, but the rumours underline how weather can be a magnet for conspiracy theories.
Days before the deluge that brought over a foot of rain, the US National Weather Service warned of locally heavy precipitation in parts of Texas and the Southwest brought by monsoonal moisture, as well as remnants of a tropical storm that made landfall in Mexico the week prior.
But on social media, prominent accounts with large followings amplified claims suggesting that the Texas floods may have been caused by cloud seeding, a form of weather modification.
By now, it is a familiar pattern: an extreme weather event occurs, and unfounded theories about its cause quickly emerge and spread online. Often, those claims crumble on closer scrutiny of the facts. Similar conspiracies that cloud seeding caused damaging floods across the United Arab Emirates popped up last year – assertions that meteorologists quickly debunked.
“I understand why emotions are running high and people are scrutinising cloud seeding to see if it’s to blame,” said Augustus Doricko, Rainmaker Technology Corp. chief executive officer. “Categorically, it’s not.”