Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified to Category 5 (!) strength early this afternoon, with plans to make landfall near Tampa Bay as a major hurricane on Wednesday. The storm's effects are forecast to be felt far and wide across the state, with parts of South Florida already experiencing rains and flooding days before Milt's anticipated arrival.
As with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene — which saw far-right figures including former president Donald Trump and sitting Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene push bizarre conspiracy theories about the federal response to the devastating storm — several tinfoil hats have entered the chat as Milton looms.
Enter Miami financial influencer/cranky Scientologist Grant Cardone.
In a viral post he shared on X (née Twitter) on October 6, Cardone posted a screenshot of Hurricane Milton's forecast path with a caption that suggested the government might be using technology to manipulate Uncle Milty.
"I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico. Been watching storms since I was a young boy. I have NEVER seen a storm start here and go east," he wrote alongside a graphic of the storm's path. "Do you think Gov’t is using technology to manipulate weather patterns & storms?"
The backlash came as swift and strong as, well, as swift and strong as a Category 5 hurricane.I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico. Been watching storms since I was a young boy. I have NEVER seen a storm start here and go east.
— Grant Cardone (@GrantCardone) October 6, 2024
Do you think Gov’t is using technology to manipulate weather patterns & storms? pic.twitter.com/OIr3UughRZ
"Just because you don’t know or understand something doesn’t mean it’s a conspiracy...," D.C.-based meteorologist Matthew Cappucci responded. "For example, I don’t know how yogurt is produced. But that doesn’t mean yogurt comes from the Illuminati."
"Yes. They usually take the weather machine down south and shoot the hurricane up, but the dude that runs it was in Cancun for vacation and didn’t wanna leave so he brought the machine with him and just shot it from there," former Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger replied. "Honestly these people."
Brian McNoldy, New Times' go-to Miami meteorological expert, was more succinct in his reply.Yes. They usually take the weather machine down south and shoot the hurricane up, but the dude that runs it was in Cancun for vacation and didn’t wanna leave so he brought the machine with him and just shot it from there.
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) October 7, 2024
Honestly these people https://t.co/dJqHPBN4NH
"Nope," quoth he.
McNoldy tells New Times that previous hurricanes have followed trajectories similar to Milton's — i.e., forming in the Bay of Campeche and tracking northeastward toward the Florida peninsula — though Category 5 is a rarity in itself.
"Yes, previous hurricanes have done that, and no, there is absolutely no weather or storm manipulation going on (or possible, for that matter)," McNoldy explains, adding, "This kind of stuff is almost too painful to even give air to."
Indeed, Cardone's "do-you-think" post is reminiscent of recent conspiracy theories shared on social media in Hurricane Helene's aftermath — in particular, the one Greene shared last week to her 1.2 million followers, suggesting the storm was a manmade disaster.
"Yes they can control the weather. It's ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done," wrote the lawmaker/conspiracy theorist known as MTG.
It's unclear who she means by "they," but this is the same woman who gifted the world Jewish space lasers that start wildfires.
Meanwhile, the recent and rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation has led the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to set up a "rumor response" page on its website to address false claims about Helene.
"Disinformation of this kind can discourage people from seeking critical assistance when they need it most," the White House wrote in a memo on Friday, according to Reuters. "It is paramount that every leader, whatever their political beliefs, stops spreading this poison."
