FACT CHECK: Does This Photo Show Sharks Caught On Power Lines In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Laura?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook over 600 times purportedly shows several sharks hanging from a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

Verdict: False

The image shows the aftermath of an incident in which a boat fell off a bridge. It is not related to Hurricane Laura.

Fact Check:

Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana in late August, killing at least 33 people and causing some $10 billion in damages, according to the Washington Post. In recent days, social media users have shared a photo of sharks in a net caught on power lines, claiming it shows “crews working to remove sharks from power lines after Hurricane Laura came through.”

Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact discovered that the image does not depict debris caused by Hurricane Laura. It comes from the aftermath of an incident in which a boat that, according to local CBS affiliate WKRG, was carrying fish fell 40 feet from the Dog River bridge in Mobile, Alabama, in late August. (RELATED: Image Claims To Shark Swimming Down Flooded Highway In Louisiana During Hurricane Laura)

WKRG included photos from the scene that viewer Donald Brinkman took in its report about the incident. The boat trailer in Brinkman’s picture matches that in the image being shared, and the nets appear to be hanging from the power lines in the same manner. The “catch of the day” ended up strewn across the road, but no one was injured in the incident, the outlet reported.

Hurricane Laura made landfall with sustained 150 mile-per-hour winds in late August, causing significant damage in parts of Louisiana and Texas, according to CNN. AL.com reported that Alabama was not in Hurricane Laura’s forecasted path.

This isn’t the first time Check Your Fact has debunked a viral image linking sharks to Hurricane Laura. In August, social media users shared a doctored image that they erroneously claimed showed a shark swimming on a Louisiana highway flooded by the storm.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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