Hurricane video from Puerto Rico shared as Cyclone in New Zealand

The video shows Hurricane Fiona which struck Puerto Rico in September 2022.

Atleast five people have died and evacuations are continuing as fresh storm warnings are announced in regions of New Zealand already devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle and the government warns of the likelihood of further fatalities. The storm’s damage has been most extensive in coastal communities on the far north and east coast of the North Island – with areas like Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland among the worst hit.

Amidst this we have noticed a viral video of a storm allegedly from a recent cyclone has been shared widely on social media. It shows strong winds almost uprooting a tree as debris flies around. 

The caption of the video states “Now, the roofs are coming off the houses! Evacuation in New Zealand! Cyclone Gabrielle! #newzealand #cyclonegabrielle #auckland#waikato #coromandel#floods #tsunami#cyclone #storm #hurricane #weather #news. 

Manorama Online, a Malayalam news website, also used this video in their recent reports on Cyclone Gabrielle.

Let’s check the truth.

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Fact Check- 

Our investigation began with a reverse image search of key frames from the viral video, which led us to a longer version of the viral video uploaded on YouTube on September 19, 2022 by Live Storms Media. The description reads “Hurricane Fiona is currently slamming into the southern coast of Puerto Rico with reported wind gusts over 100 mph. An asphalt roof began to come apart and struck out vehicle as well as others around us while the winds were also lofting signs, debris, and taking down power poles. Numerous shots of downed trees and intense winds in Ponce”.Brett Adair, a meteorologist from Alabama, US, tweeted a longer version of this video on September 19, 2022. He had posted several videos purportedly showing Hurricane Fiona in action.

Brett Adair, a meteorologist from Alabama, US, shared a longer version of this video on September 19, 2022 over Twitter. He had posted several videos purportedly showing Hurricane Fiona in action

We expanded our search using the keywords and discovered multiple reports of the incident. “Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in September 2022,” according to a report in Yahoo news published on September 19, 2022.

According to a CNN report at least 25 people were killed in Puerto Rico because of the hurricane. It caused heavy rainfall, mudslides, floods, and large-scale power disruption.

The Weather Channel and AccuWeather both used the viral video in hurricane Fiona coverage at the time. As a result, it’s clear that this video has nothing to do with the recent New Zealand cyclone. 

Conclusion- 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The viral video shows Hurricane Fiona which struck Puerto Rico in September 2022. It has no connection to the recent Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand.