Claim: An audio clip authentically captures a FEMA official as saying they plan to evacuate between 70k-80k people by planning for both large and small scale evacuation operations, at which they plan a “70K – 80,000 evacuation.” Within this audio clip is another audio clip showing similar claims as Claim #1 with similar ratings:
At the start of October 2024, an online rumor suggested an audio clip featuring an official from U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), speaking directly into an audible microphone saying they planned on “executing between 70-80,000,” before retracting this statement and saying they intended on evacuation between 70-80% people instead. Social media users posted videos depicting their reactions without showing who actually spoke the lines in it.
At the time users shared this claim, people living in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia were in the early stages of recovering from Hurricane Helene and making preparations for its successor: Hurricane Milton. At that point in time, over 230 deaths from Helene were accounted for as confirmed deaths as per Oct 7th.
As for the audio clip used to fuel this rumor, its source lies outside FEMA: U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin misspoke an “execute” line at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington D.C. on Sept 28, 2021 – his statement featured past-tense words like “planned” rather than present or future tense “plan.” Watch C-SPAN at 22 minutes 13 seconds or below from an X:11 post
Austin once more misspoke during a House Armed Services Committee hearing and corrected himself; C-SPAN captured that awkward line at 18:08 of this video.
Both hearings focused on a congressional review of failures that occurred during U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, with users falsely alleging FEMA Said ‘the Quiet Part Out Loud’
Social media websites were filled with examples of users spreading the fabricated FEMA news through an unrelated audio clip.
TikTok users posted reaction videos to an audio clip released in 2021 that misleadingly asserted FEMA said, in their onscreen captions, that FEMA said “the quiet part out loud”. Snopes reviewed four such videos at that time – all four had muted audio which may suggest TikTok had taken action to limit misinformation efforts promoted through these videos given lifesaving efforts taking place following Helene and prior to Milton.
Within hours, all but one of the videos were showing “Video currently unavailable.” We reached out to TikTok to inquire as to if they have removed them and will update this story should a response come through.
These users’ false videos amassed hundreds of thousands of views collectively.
Before some TikTok reaction videos became inaccessible, users on X and other websites had already posted similar clips – even before being made unavailable themselves – reposting these same clips and falsely claimed (archived): “FEMA spokesperson just claimed they plan to EXECUTE 70K-80K people; after correcting, then said we need to evacuate instead – now we know this cover story!”
NC Official Denounces False Helene Claims
We previously reported on numerous unsubstantiated and false Helene-related allegations making their rounds online, particularly regarding Chimney Rock, North Carolina being affected. We know this because NC officials recently issued statements condemning such unsubstantiated and heartbreaking claims made online about Helene as damaging and harmful for its citizens and environment.
Kerri Giles, who serves in her local emergency operations center as public information officer after Helene, noted the heartbreak caused by online misinformation campaigns: “It can be heartbreaking when your sole mission is saving people, yet people want to sit behind a computer screen and criticize. Your frontline personnel are some of the finest humans you’ll meet – this wastes resources.” Sources.
Burns, Robert and Lolita C. Baldor. “Joint Chiefs Chairman Calls Afghan War a ‘Strategic Failure.'” Associated Press Newswire Service 28 September 2021; see https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-bombings-kabul-taliban-terrorism d1c939fc224a988dc6117ae4a70840e6 for further reading. C-SPAN.org published “House Armed Services Committee Hearing on Afghanistan Withdrawal”, on 29 September 2021 and can be found by following this link – Raby, John and Gabriela Aoun Angueira presented testimony regarding Afghanistan withdrawal to this committee hearing on Afghanistan Withdrawal on 28 September 2021. “FEMA Administrator Steps Up Pushback on False Claims as Helene Death Toll Hits 230.” Associated Press Newswire Service (7 Oct 2024). For the complete story see Schreiner, Bruce: Hurricane Helene FEMA Pushes Back against Unfair Claims [http://apnews.com]/article/826effecab238ff0acf0556ad64b0df2.] “Death Toll of Hurricane Helene Rises to 227 as Grim Task of Recovering Bodies Continues,” according to The Associated Press on 5 October 2024: https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-death-toll-AshevilleNorthCarolina34D1226bb31F79DF6827E40587FC” “Sec. 1a”. Austin: “‘We Planned to Execute Between 70 and 80,000 — We Planned to Evacuate Between 70 and 80,000 People.” Grabien.com, 3 October 2021. C-SPAN’s Hearing on Afghanistan Withdrawal.” C-SPAN.org 28 September 2021 https://www.c-span.org/video/514537-11/Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing Afghanistan Withdrawal.
