The Facts
Category 3 Hurrican Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., Wednesday night, dropping more than 10 inches of rainwater across the region and a further 12 inches in some areas. Over 3M people were left without power.
The storm, which initially approached the state as a Category 5 hurricane, brought 100 mph winds and 13-foot storm surges in some areas, with officials warning of continuing flash floods in central Florida. The storm is now a Category 1.
The Spin
Meteorologists have been warning about a storm like Milton for decades, but even after it's arrived, the spread of anti-science misinformation is growing faster on social media. This includes people relying on lived experiences to downplay the hurricane's threat, and others claiming the government is controlling the weather. What the real science shows is simple: burning fossil fuels leads to global warming, and global warming is causing record-breaking storms.
