Old, Unrelated Videos Passed off as Recent Visuals From Hurricane Milton
We found that all the nine videos seen in the compilation are old.
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A set of different videos showing properties being damaged, objects falling, and visuals of tornadoes is going viral on the internet with users linking it to Hurricane Milton that hit central Florida on 9 October.
Sharing the video on their X (formerly Twitter) handle, a user captioned it saying, "#HurricanMilton just landed (sic)."
Are these claims true?: No, we found that all nine videos seen in the viral compilation were old and unrelated to the Hurricane Milton.
How did we find the details?: To find more details about all the clips seen in the viral compilation, we conducted a reverse image search on the particular keyframes using the help of Google Lens.
VIDEO 1
The video shows pieces of a house's ceiling breaking apart due to what appears to be a heavy storm in the area.
Visuals from the first clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
We found that the same visuals published on a verified Facebook handle called 'iWeatherNet'.
The video was posted on 16 July and its caption said, "Nasty storm that just tore through Urbandale, IA on the west side of #DesMoines #tornado."
For the unversed, Des Moines is a city in the United States' Iowa.
VIDEO 2
The second one showed the official flag of the United States violently fluttering due to heavy wind.
Visuals from the second clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
A reverse image search on this portion of the compilation directed us to a longer version uploaded on the official YouTube channel of ABC News.
The video was shared on 5 May 2022 and it was titled, "New footage shows devastating Kansas tornado l ABC News."
VIDEO 3
The third video showed waves hitting the roof of a red house, which can be seen getting damaged.
Visuals from the third clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
The same visuals were uploaded on a verified YouTube channel named 'Rumble Viral'.
It was published on 30 December 2023 and was titled, "Extreme storm wreaks havoc in Georgia-Gagra #shorts."
VIDEO 4
This video showed what appears to be a tornado in the background of some houses.
Visuals from the fourth clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
Using the help of Google Lens, we came across a similar video posted by a TikTok user called 'rtsarovvideo' on 20 June.
Since the application is banned in India, we used the help of a VPN to access the video.
Its caption said "Tornado Got Frozen #AI".
The video was published on 20 June.
(Source: TikTok/Screenshot)
Further, we found a YouTube channel with the same name.
Team WebQoof went through it and found that the viral video could be traced back to 16 July 2023.
VIDEO 5
The fifth video showed trees violently shaking and two cars can be seen parked under them.
Visuals from the fifth clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
A preliminary search directed us to some unrelated videos of Typhoon Yaga in Vietnam.
Taking that as a hint, we performed a keyword search in Vietnamese on Facebook. This directed us to a longer version of the fifth clip posted on a handle named 'Yêu Bến Tre'.
It was uploaded on 7 September and its caption said, "Typhoon Yagi hits mainland Vietnam."
VIDEO 6
The sixth clip showed waves hitting a yellow house.
Visuals from the sixth clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
This video could be traced back to September of this year and reportedly showed visuals from the Hurricane Helene.
A YouTube user named 'Adam Shelton' posted this video with a caption that said, "I Survived HURRICANE HELENE FLOODING and You Can Too."
While we could not confirm if the video was captured during Hurricane Helene, it is clear that the visuals predate Hurricane Milton.
VIDEO 7
This portion showed two shipping containers falling off due to heavy winds.
Visuals from the seventh clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
Using the help of Google Lens, we came across a longer version published on an unverified channel named 'Tin Tức'.
It was posted on 7 September and its title when translated to English said, "It's unbelievable how such a heavy container can move so easily."
VIDEO 8
The video showed the roof of a house flying off.
Visuals from the eighth clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
Team WebQoof conducted a Google Lens search and came across the same visuals published on a verified channel called 'UOL'.
It was uploaded on 16 October 2023 and its title when translated to English said, "Roof is ripped off by the wind and almost hits pedestrian in Sumaré (SP)."
VIDEO 9
The final video showed palm trees shaking next to a yellow building.
Visuals from the ninth clip.
(Source: Viral Video/Screenshot)
With the help of a reverse image search, we were able to trace the video back to at least July 2019.
A YouTube handle called 'Dragonrijder3000' had posted on the video with a caption saying, "Giant Monster Attacks City - 7/17/19."
Conclusion: It is clear that all these visuals are old and unrelated to the Hurricane Milton that recently hit Florida.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
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