Outdated Photos Shared as Recent Tornado Hitting US State of Kentucky
The Claim
Photos show the tornado that recently tore through the U.S. state of Kentucky.
News posted on
Emerging story
Websites and Facebook accounts have recently circulated photos alleging they showed the severe tornado that struck Kentucky on Friday, Dec. 10. Some accounts and pages shared alleged photos claiming that some 50 people have died so far as a result.
Photo Description: The screenshots show the alleged photos shared with the claim on websites and Facebook accounts.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulated claim and found it misleading. The photos shared with the claim are outdated; they do not show the Kentucky tornadoes. In addition, the number of deaths is nearly 100, according to Saturday’s statements by the Kentucky state governor.
The first two photos were taken by Canadian photographer Greg Johnson in 2019, showing U.S. Nebraska state tornadoes instead.
Photo Description: The photos show the actual date and location of the photos now being shared to falsely depict the recent tornadoes that hit the state of Kentucky.
The third photo being shared was taken in 2010 by American photographer Matt Clark, with a caption that read that the photo was taken in the U.S. state of Colorado.
A number of states in the southeast of the United States, including Kentucky, have witnessed devastating tornadoes on Dec. 10. During a press conference in the early hours of Saturday morning, the Kentucky state governor said that more than 50 people have died but will “probably end up closer to 70-100 lost lives.”
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri
