Viral images shared on X purport to show respective headlines from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and CNN claiming Hurricane Milton was purportedly renamed Hurricane “Millicent” in recognition of Transgender Awareness Month.

oh my god. THIS IS NOT REAL😭 pic.twitter.com/johQoXNo8R

— @ratlimit (@ratlimit) October 9, 2024

Verdict: False

There is no evidence suggesting either outlet published the purported headlines. Spokesperson for CNN and the WMO denied the claim’s validity in respective emails to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

At least 17 people have died as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to the New York Post. The hurricane made landfall as a Category 5 storm near Sarasota, Florida on Oct. 9, the outlet reported.

The images, which have been viewed over 100,000 times as of writing, purport to show respective headlines from the WMO and CNN claiming Hurricane Milton was purportedly renamed Hurricane “Millicent” in recognition of Transgender Awareness Month.

“WMO Renames Hurricane Milton to Millicent in Recognition of Transgender Awareness Month,” the purported headline from the WMO reads.

“Same threat, different name: Floridians react to Hurricane ‘Millicent,'” the purported headline from CNN follows.

The claim is false. The purported headline from the WMO is not generated via a search of its website or its verified social media accounts. Likewise, there are no news releases published on the WMO’s website that support the claim. Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the claim referenced via a search of CNN’s website or its verified social media accounts.

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Oct. 10, Snopes debunked the claim. (RELATED: No, This Video Does Not Show House’s Walls Collapsing Due To Hurricane Milton)

Furthermore, spokespersons for CNN and the WMO denied the claim’s validity in respective emails to Check Your Fact.

“CNN [did] not report/publish this,” CNN spokesperson Bridget Leininger said.