Getty A sign on a business reas, 'Be Prepared Go Away Irma,' as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami, Florida.
“Any rumors you may have heard that TECO is intentionally cutting off power to customers are false,” reads a marquee on the home page for TECO Energy, which services 725,000 residents in the Tampa Bay area.
Rumors that electric companies were planning to cut off power in order to force people to evacuate are just one of many hoaxes circulating throughout the state during the havoc being wreaked by superstorm Hurricane Irma.
Any rumors you may have heard that TECO is intentionally cutting power to customers are false. See #Irma updates at t.co/2b3Dcr2HEo
“Duke Energy is not de-energizing services in any area to expedite evacuations,” said a spokesperson for the power company, which also services customers in the Tampa area.
More rumors related to Hurricane Irma have been circulating the internet, ranging from the mild to the outlandish:
No truth to the rumor there is a Go-Fund-Me account to get @rushlimbaugh to ride out the Irma liberal hoax strapped to a pole in Miami
#Rumor or #Fact An image purportedly showing a news ticker that reads “Hurricane Irma now contains sharks” is… t.co/u2LnMiCYfN
https://twitter.com/heatheremerrick/status/906984878020939776
However, some rumors are all-too-serious, and law enforcement agencies have been working to combat those rumors and incorrect beliefs that could put people’s lives at risk:
SUSTAINED winds of 40mph or more=bridge CLOSED. Simple as that.
Rumor control: A warning will NOT be given. #HurricaneIrma #irma #jax #JSO
RUMOR CONTROL: I-95 and I-75 (at the GA & FL border) are NOT moving and will NOT move in one-direction (“contra flow”). THIS IS FAKE. #Irma
The rumor mill has gotten so out of control that FEMA has set up a website aimed at separating Hurricane Irma fact and fiction.
There is so much fake news circulating as Hurricane Irma hits Florida, FEMA has set up “Rumor Control” website
Here are some highlights from the FEMA rumor control page:
- Evacuation shelters are required to take in pets. TRUE
- Undocumented immigrants are not welcome at shelters. FALSE
- FEMA keeps a list of businesses permitted to re-enter disaster areas. FALSE
- FEMA officials will never ask you for money or personal information beyond identity verification. TRUE
- You should not remove flood-damaged housing materials until FEMA or an insurance adjuster inspects them. FALSE