An image shared on social media purportedly shows a dog trapped in flood waters during the recent tropical storm Idalia.

Poor dog becomes the victim of Cat 4 Hurricane Idalia. Please save your pets too, as you save yourselves during evacuations. #Idalia #hurricaneidalia #HurricaneIdalia2023 #FloridaHurricane #Florida #IDALIAhurricane pic.twitter.com/BCRZ70yXhO

— Insider Times (@Insider_Times) August 30, 2023

Verdict: False

The image dates back to 2016, seven years before hurricane Idalia’s landfall.

Fact Check:

Hurricane Idalia hit Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Aug. 30 before moving into Georgia and the Carolinas as a Category 1 and tropical storm before moving out to sea, according to CBS News. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned potential looters by stating, “you loot, we shoot,” Politic0 reported.

The Twitter post purports to show an image of a dog in duress after Hurricane Idalia. The image shows a dog’s head barely showing over the water outside a house.

The caption reads, “Poor dog becomes the victim of Cat 4 Hurricane Idalia. Please save your pets too, as you save yourselves during evacuations.”

The claim is inaccurate. There are credible news reports that suggest this image is older than hurricane Idalia. The image stems from a news report by Click 2 Houston in Texas when increased water levels from Brazos River, caused major flooding in Fort Bend county. The dog was rescued and turned over to the Houston Humane Society.

Troy Nehls, former County Sheriff for Fort Bend County, posted on his Facebook a photo of the dog after the rescue. The post’s date matches the year of the news report. (RELATED: IS Robert J. O’Neill The Navy Seal Who Killed Osama Bin Laden?)

This is not the first time misinformation regarding this year’s hurricane season has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a photo allegedly showing a flood inside an apartment complex during Hurricane Hillary.