Social media users are sharing a three-minute long compilation of clips showing destruction caused by a tornado, claiming that it shows visuals from a recent tornado in Tennessee, USA.
The claim comes shortly after the southern part of the country was impacted by hurricane Helene, which left parts of the state flooded and destroyed.
An archived version of this post can be seen here.
(Source:X (formerly Twitter)/Screenshot)
How did we find out the truth?: For each clip, we took multiple screenshots of it, and ran reverse image searches for them on various web browsers.
For searches that led us to TikTok videos, we had to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service, to access the videos, as the platform has been banned in India since 2020.
Video One: The search for the source of the first video, which shows a tornado hitting a waterlogged street with cars on it, led us to a TikTok video uploaded on 18 April.
It was shared by an account which digitally created videos showing various weather events.
The video was first shared in April 2024.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
A comparison of the visuals can be seen here.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
Video Two: The second video shows people recording a tornado from inside a car, and spotting a dog on the road.
The reverse image search for a screenshot of this video led us to another TikTok video, shared on 12 July 2023.
The video has been on the internet since July 2023.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
A comparison of the visuals can be seen here.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
Video Three: The third clip in this compilation was previously debunked in an earlier fact-check by The Quint's WebQoof team, where we found that the clip was from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Its showed a tornado demolishing a building on 26 April 2024.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video Four: The fourth video of a bovine running during a storm is also old, showing a video from north Texas, recorded on 23 April 2023, according to a video on Facebook by CBS News.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video Five: This video, which shows a storm hitting a coast, was shared on TikTok in January 2024, by the same account which shared 'Video One'.
This video is also likely to be created digitally, as nobody on the beach seems to panic or run to find shelter when the 'storm' hits the coast.
The video has been on the internet since January.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
Video Six: This video is also old and reportedly shows a tornado in Andover, Kansas on 29 April 2022, according to a Facebook page called Live Storm Chasers.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video Seven: In this clip, we see trees getting blown over due to strong winds and rains.
It dates back to May 2024 and shows visuals from Kalamazoo, Michigan according to Reuters.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video Eight: This video of a large dustbin flapping around against the backdrop of a tornado on water is also old and could be traced back to 8 January 2024, when it was shared on Facebook.
We could not verify the location or the weather event associated with this clip.
This video was shared in January 2024.
(Source: Altered. by The Quint)
Video Nine: The ninth clip, which shows a large vehicle sinking into the water, is from May 2024 and was shot in Texas, USA, as per Accuweather's YouTube channel.
Video Ten: This video of a storm behind a white building dates back to September 2023, and reportedly shows the effects of Mediterranean storm Daniel in Libya.
Video 11: This clip is from May 2022 and was taken in Gaylord, Michigan. Fox News uploaded the same video on their YouTube channel, and starts five seconds into their report.
Video 12: The search for the source of this video took us to a TikTok video by user,The Vacation Planet," who had uploaded the same video on 13 July 2023, claiming to show visuals from Ottawa, Canada.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 13: This clip of a storm wreaking havoc on a kids' playground has been on the internet since January 2024 and does not show a recent video.
This video was shared in January 2024.
(Source: YouTube /Screenshot)
Video 14: This clip shows visuals from Andover, Kansas from 6 May, according to a report by the BBC.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 15: A Facebook page called 'Newsflare' shared this clip of a tornado as one from Colorado on 19 February 2023, predating the recent tornado in Tennessee.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 16: This video reportedly shows a storm in the Saki region in Crimea, Russian annexation, according to a news report by Newsweek.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 17: This video of a car flipping amid a storm was shared by a verified YouTube channel called ShangaiEye, reportedly showing visuals recorded in Florida on 29 April 2023.
Video 18: This video could be traced back to 27 November 2022, when it was uploaded by a page called 'TornadoTitans,' as one from Oklahoma.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 19: This video of a storm ripping through a settlement dates back to May 2022, when it was shared in a compilation of clips by NBC News in their coverage of storms in Wichita, Kansas.
NBC News shared this clip in May 2022.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)
Video 20: According to a report by Good Morning America from 17 May 2018, this clip is one of a tornado touching down in Germany.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 21: This clip of a storm destroying a house has been on the internet since February 2024.
Several TikTok users have shared it as visuals from Canada, USA, and Saudi Arabia.
We could not verify the location or source of this video.
This clip is old.
(Source: TikTok/Screenshot)
Video 22: We found this video of a hailstorm seen in a backyard on TikTok, dating back to 22 June 2023, predating the recent storm in Tennessee.
Here is a comparison between the two frames.
(Source: Altered by The Quint)
Video 23: This clip of a storm and trees blowing in the wind has been on the internet since April 2024, six months before the tornado in Tennesee.
This clip was shared in January.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)
Video 24: This video of storm clouds forming over a city was made using visual effects (VFX) and has been on the internet since 2022, when it was shared on a YouTube channel called 'InsanePatient2'.
Video 25: This clip of a tornado near a bridge on the water also predates the recent event.
It has been on the internet since 2023, when it was shared with the same claim.
We were unable to find the source or determine the location of this video.
The video was shared in 2023.
(Source: YouTube/Screenshot)
Video 26: This video of a hailstorm, recorded from inside a house, dates back to 2022 and was recorded in Spain, as per a report by The Independent.
The video dates back to 2022.
(Source: The Independent/Screenshot)
Video 27: The next video, which damaged cars, signboards, and power lines, has been on the internet since December 2023 and was shared on Instagram as one of the aftermath of a tornado in Nashville, Tennessee.
Video 28: The last portion of the video shows a Today Online report from 13 December 2021 on the impact of a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky.
Conclusion: While we could not determine the location or date of many of these clips, it is certain that they do not show visuals of the September 2024 tornado in Tennessee, USA.
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