A photo showing a traffic jam has been circulating on social media, with the claim that it is a displacement in the US state of Florida, fleeing Hurricane Milton, “The largest mass displacement in American history is now underway in the state of Florida, Hurricane Milton.”
Kashif verified the image via “Google Images” tool and found that it is old and was incorrectly linked to displacement in the US state of Florida. The image dates back to the evacuation movement of residents in the city of Houston in America, as a result of Hurricane “Rita” in 2005, not in the state of Florida.
Flickr account “jackkerowack” posted the photo on 14/12/2007, indicating that the photo was taken on 22/9/2005, and stated that it dates back to the evacuation of Houston residents due to Hurricane Rita.
The hurricanescience and medium websites also published the circulated image and mentioned in the description of the image that “thousands of people evacuate Houston as Hurricane Rita approaches” in Texas in September 2005.
Hurricane Milton’s strength intensified again on Tuesday 8/10/2024 to the maximum category, according to what the US Hurricane Center announced, and it warned that the hurricane continues to advance in the Gulf of Mexico towards the state of Florida.
For its part, the American authorities intensified their calls on Tuesday for residents to evacuate before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to reach land on Wednesday night and Thursday.
| Sources of verification | Sources of claim |
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