A post on X claims that HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is responsible for manipulating weather patterns in Florida, supposedly influencing Hurricane Milton.

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HAARP is positioned perfectly right around Florida.

It does seem to be activated at as the whole state of Florida seems to be needing to prepare from wants to come.

Hopefully, this thing takes a turn, but please if you can try to get how to Florida or to go… pic.twitter.com/dn3jgxYUor

— Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) October 7, 2024

Verdict: False

There is no evidence to support the idea that HAARP is manipulating weather patterns or hurricanes, including Hurricane Milton. The video actually shows a coral farm off the coast of Florida.

Fact Check:

The death toll from Hurricane Milton has increased to 17 as residents of Florida continue to sift through debris during the cleanup following the storm, according to NBC News. The storm underwent rapid intensification before making landfall in Florida, The New York Times reported.

The X post claims that HAARP weaponry was positioned off the coast of Florida for the impending storm. “HAARP is positioned perfectly right around Florida,” the post’s caption reads in part. “It does seem to be activated at as the whole state of Florida seems to be needing to prepare from wants to come.”

The claim is false. The image claiming to show HAARP components are actually part of a coral nursery off the coast of Florida. In fact, Mote Marine Laboratory recently published research highlighting how coral reefs in Florida survived the summer’s record-high sea temperatures—yet no mention is made of any supposed weather manipulation.

The area, called Snapper’s Ledge, is housing corals that would be replanted once grown, per a YouTube video from BlueWorldTV. (RELATED: Is the U.S. Government Manipulating Storms in the Gulf of Mexico Using Technology?)

Meteorological models from the National Hurricane Center show that Hurricane Milton, like other storms, is influenced by high-pressure systems, wind currents, and sea surface temperatures, not by any technological interference. These models use well-established science to predict hurricane behavior, and there is no connection between HAARP and the natural factors that guide hurricanes’ paths.

The idea that HAARP is used for weather control is a conspiracy theory that has persisted for years. Both NOAA and the U.S. Air Force have repeatedly clarified that HAARP is a research program focused on understanding how the ionosphere affects communications, not weather systems.

This is not the first time weather-related claims have been misrepresented online. For instance, Check Your Fact previously debunked a viral post that falsely suggested the U.S. government was manipulating storms in the Gulf of Mexico using advanced technology.