FACT CHECK: Did HAARP Cause Historic Flash Flooding in Roswell, New Mexico?
A post on Facebook claims that HAARP is responsible for the historic flash flooding that occurred in Roswell, New Mexico on Oct. 20.
There is no proof that HAARP caused this, and they fully deny the accusation.
Fact Check:
Heavy flash flooding unexpectedly struck the Roswell, New Mexico area Oct. 20, causing widespread damage and even two deaths. 5.78″ inches of rainfall was recorded, beating the record of 5.65″ that was set in 1901, and is also four times the average October rainfall amount for the area, according to CNN.
Residents in Roswell, NM, were forced onto the roof of a convention center after record-breaking rainfall triggered severe flooding Saturday night. Over 5.78 inches of rain fell, shattering their all-time daily rain record from 1901. https://t.co/AeLboGjYoB pic.twitter.com/oKgDdvE6GZ
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 21, 2024
Since the area rarely sees rainfall to that extent, it left some to wonder what could have caused it and now they are searching for answers. One Facebook user blames “weather modification systems,” specifically the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), a research arm of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks that studies weather patterns throughout the world.
There is no proof that this was the case at all. The Albuquerque office of the National Weather Service (NWS) stated that the historic flash flooding was caused by a low-pressure weather system that stalled over the area instead of moving through as quick as it usually does. “The unusual amount of rain was produced by an upper-level cut-off low hat stalled over Arizona and funneled large amounts of moisture to New Mexico from the Gulf of Mexico,” said meteorologist Jeff Berardelli.
HAARP has been at the center of many conspiracy theories regarding climate change recently. The southeastern United States saw two hurricanes late in the season this year, prompting many to falsely accuse the research program of manipulating the weather. There is no proof that this happened at all, nor is there any proof that they have the ability to do so in the first place.
HAARP mostly deals with phenomena that can affect electronics and communications equipment. A spokesperson for HAARP told Reuters via email that they “cannot create, modify or manipulate weather.”
