Video compilation misrepresented as scenes from Hurricane Milton

After Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida in early October, video compilations showing destroyed homes, roofs flying off houses, and tornadoes took to social media. 

Yet, not all of the videos shared online were filmed during the storm, as addressed by Logically Facts. 

We detected another compilation shared on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, opening with a clip of a roof being blown off a building, with captions saying that it showed footage from the hurricane. Archived examples of such posts can be found here, here, and here.

We analyzed each of the ten videos in the one-minute compilation to trace their origins and found none related to Hurricane Milton.

Video 1

Using a reverse image search, we discovered that the first video was shared by the Brazilian newspaper Jornal Folha de Hortolândia on October 13, 2023, and described as a roof flying off a building in the city of Sumaré, Brazil.

Video 2

The same image search method helped us discover that the Facebook account Life Storm Chasers published the identical video (archived here) on August 17, 2022, with the caption, "Insane NEW Video of Andover, Kansas EF-3 Tornado April 29, 2022."

Logically Facts traced the video to Andover, Kansas, using identifiable markers like the restaurant in the background.

An EF-3 tornado caused extensive damage in Andover, Kansas, on April 29, 2022, according to the National Weather Service. 

Since then, this video has been circulating on social media. For example, it was previously misattributed to Texas (archived here) and Nebraska (archived here).

Video 3

A reverse image search led us to the publication on YouTube in 2022 (archived here). It was published by Kansas-based news channel KSN and titled, "Video of the April 2022 Andover, Kansas, tornado shot and shared with KSN by Dave Jackson."

The description says, "On April 29, 2022, an EF-3 tornado started in southeast Sedgwick County at 8:10 p.m. and moved into Andover, damaging homes, a YMCA, Prairie Creek Elementary, and Central Park. The storm produced additional tornadoes as it moved east. Rebuilding from the tornado is continuing."

Logically, Facts geolocated the clip to the YMCA in Andover, Kansas, which matches the video's description.

Video 4

The fourth video is not only outdated but also not genuine. The tornado and lightning were added to the image digitally, as our fact-checkers detailed earlier when the same video was wrongly attributed to a storm in Libya. 

Video 5

Here, we can see video number two once again.

Video 6

By conducting a reverse image search on this video, we were directed to The Weather Channel website, where the same building and trees are clearly recognizable, but flipped. 

The outlet described the clip as filmed during Hurricane Michael, which made landfall in Panama City Beach, Florida, in October 2018.

The clip circulating online features a tornado in the background that was not visible in the video published by The Weather Channel.

Video 7

Through a reverse image search, we discovered that this video was previously shared by Iowa-based journalist Eric Hanson (archived here) on his Facebook account on July 16, 2024. 

The video description says, "This is the moment. Evan Headley says he shot this video from his apartment near 63rd and Hickman as the tornado passed over." Logically Facts also geolocated the footage to Des Moines, Iowa, matching the video's description posted by Hanson.

The Des Moines Register, a local newspaper, reported about the impacts of the storm in an article published in July.

Video 8

A video showing what looks like lightning striking a playground in a compilation posted on TikTok in 2023, accompanied by the caption, "The Worst storm this [sic] year 2023 !" (archived here). 

Logically Facts contacted the user. The fact check will be updated if the user confirms that the clip was digitally created.

The clip was shared online in 2023, before Hurricane Milton made landfall. (Source: TikTok, screenshot, modified by Logically Facts)

Video 9

By the reverse image search, we discovered that the video of a wave hitting the red roof of a coastal building pre-dates Hurricane Milton.

It was shared by the YouTube channel Rumble Viral (archived here) on December 30, 2023, captioned, "Extreme storm wreaks havoc in Georgia-Gagra #shorts."

Video 10

Using the reverse image search method to find out the origin of this video, we ended up on the website Fox 51 WOGX — a local TV station in Gainesville, Florida. The outlet reported that the video showed a "shelf cloud" in Cedar Key, Florida, before Hurricane Helene crossed through the state and was published on September 26.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida that same day.

The verdict

None of the ten videos in this compilation are related to Hurricane Milton. Therefore, we have marked the claim as false.