Hurricane Milton: Fact-checking conspiracies, rumors and AI images

FILE PHOTO: A man walks down an avenue as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Orlando, Florida, U.S., October 9, 2024. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

The aftermath of Hurricane Milton has left a trail of misinformation surrounding relief efforts in hard-hit Florida, including conspiracy theories about officials controlling the weather.

The storm's devastation was not as severe as initially feared in Florida, one of the many states that were battered by Hurricane Helene nearly two weeks earlier.