Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina in September 2024, causing severe flooding and damage to infrastructure. In the chaos, various extremist groups, including white nationalists from the Patriot Front, arrived to deliver aid while simultaneously using the situation to gain visibility and followers online. They posted videos portraying themselves as benevolent figures, masking their true intentions of promoting white supremacy. According to John Kelly, head of the data analytics firm Graphika, this tactic is a common strategy among these groups, who often accompany their posts with misinformation about government response efforts. The manipulation extends beyond domestic groups; foreign nations like China, Russia, and Iran have also exploited these events to push their propaganda. They utilize fake accounts to amplify divisive content, furthering narratives that undermine trust in the U.S. government. For instance, one viral post compared disaster relief in North Carolina to funding for Ukraine, suggesting misallocation of resources. Additionally, the rise of AI-generated content has led to the creation of misleading images that exaggerate disaster impacts, influencing public sentiment regardless of their authenticity. This convergence of local crises and global disinformation campaigns underscores the need for vigilance in the digital age.