Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has reiterated her controversial assertion that the government has the capability to control the weather, coinciding with the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton in Florida.
Last week, Greene claimed that “they” can manipulate weather conditions in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which resulted in numerous fatalities across her state and the nation. Her statements drew ridicule from President Joe Biden, who dismissed the idea of government weather control as “beyond ridiculous.”
In a follow-up post on X, Greene sought to clarify her earlier remarks, stating, “Everyone keeps asking, ‘Who is they?’ Well, some of them are listed on NOAA, as well as most of the ways weather can be modified.” She suggested that if individuals suffer damages from these alleged weather modifications, they should be entitled to compensation.
Greene accompanied her comments with screenshots from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about “weather modification project reports.” These reports pertain to practices such as cloud seeding, which has been utilized for nearly a century to enhance precipitation. However, NOAA has emphasized that cloud seeding is not capable of creating or altering hurricanes.
Experts like Hugh Willoughby, former head of NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, have confirmed that modifying hurricanes is not feasible due to the fundamental nature of hurricanes and the vast energy involved.
Despite the scientific consensus, the notion of government weather control has gained traction among certain right-wing circles on social media, often linked with climate change denial. Alex Jones, a well-known conspiracy theorist, echoed Greene’s claims, asserting that the federal government could have neutralized a storm in the Gulf of Mexico.
Greene has also propagated another unfounded conspiracy, suggesting that severe weather is being directed at Republican-leaning areas. She shared a map overlay showing the electoral affiliations of counties affected by Hurricane Helene, insinuating that storm damages could impact electoral outcomes.
Additionally, following Hurricane Helene, rumors emerged that the government had engineered the storm to gain access to lithium deposits in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. Congressman Chuck Edwards issued a statement refuting this claim, clarifying that Hurricane Helene was not a product of government manipulation.
As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida with devastating potential, further conspiracies have surfaced, including false claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is blocking evacuations. FEMA has publicly debunked these allegations, stating that local authorities manage traffic and evacuation efforts, emphasizing that spreading such rumors can endanger lives.