Misinformation and rumors often circulate amid natural disasters, as information is scarce and tensions are high. But the scale and speed of falsehoods that have circulated during Helene and Milton have surprised officials, including Ms. Criswell, who said on Tuesday that she had “anticipated some of this, but not to the extent that we’re seeing.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell predicted Tuesday that rumors and disinformation will become a regular part of natural disaster response moving forward, and rebuked those seeking to benefit politically from spreading false information.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warned Tuesday that falsehoods related to hurricanes are significantly impeding their response efforts, and putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida and others pick up the pieces from Hurricane Helene.