Are politicians controlling the weather, or is it all just hot air? As hurricanes rage, some conspiracy theorists claim a deeper narrative is afoot.
Conspiracy theories around government weather control have gained momentum recently with both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, some falsely claiming that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have manipulated weather patterns for political gain.
These theories often cite historical experiments, such as “Operation Popeye,” a program during the Vietnam War where the U.S. military used cloud seeding to extend monsoon seasons over North Vietnam. While Operation Popeye involved genuine weather modification, it had limited impacts.
Recent rumors suggesting the government can create or steer hurricanes are entirely false. Existing technology could not control large-scale weather phenomena like hurricanes, making weather manipulation claims unsubstantial. According to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), the technology to create or alter hurricanes simply does not exist.
“NOAA does not modify the weather, nor does it fund, participate in or oversee cloud seeding or any other weather modification activities,” NOAA wrote in its Fact Check article.
NOAA explains that hurricanes form through natural interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere, dependent on water temperature and atmospheric conditions. Although NOAA monitors weather modification activities, it does not participate in or endorse cloud seeding or any hurricane modification projects. The radar technology NOAA uses is designed for observation, helping forecasters accurately track and warn communities but cannot influence weather events in any way.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the White House have also taken actions to counter these conspiracy theories.
FEMA recently launched a “Hurricane Rumor Response” page to combat misinformation, and President Biden called the claims “beyond ridiculous,” emphasizing that the government’s focus is on hurricane recovery, not on controlling storms.
High-profile figures like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene have nonetheless fueled these myths by referencing outdated studies and misunderstood scientific experiments.
“Climate change is the new Covid,” Rep. Greene posted on X (formally known as Twitter), “Ask your government if the weather is manipulated or controlled.”
In reality, cloud seeding, often mistaken for large-scale weather control, is a practice used by private companies primarily in western regions to encourage rainfall in arid areas.
It involves dispersing particles in clouds to stimulate precipitation but is highly localized and ineffective for influencing major weather systems like hurricanes.
Attempts to modify hurricanes were tested briefly from the 1960s to the 1980s under Project STORMFURY but were ultimately abandoned due to the lack of success.
Experts in meteorology continue to reassure the public that government weather control is simply not possible with current technology.
Charles Konrad, a geography professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, notes that “They tried to modify hurricanes and at the end of it, they realized that they couldn’t,” he said during an interview with CBS.
Misinformation about government weather control can cause undue fear, distract from real recovery efforts, and shift focus away from science-based discussions on adaptation for American society in the wake of climate change.
The public is urged to rely on verified sources like NOAA and the National Hurricane Center for accurate information about extreme weather.
Addressing these myths responsibly allows communities to stay informed and better prepared for real challenges posed by natural weather events.
