Source: Sean Rayford / Getty
Now, normally we do not entertain crazy conspiracy theories found on social media. However, some theories are just too crazy to let pass.
As you know by now, an EF-3 tornado that touched down in Nash and Edgecombe Counties last week, injuring at least 16 people and causing tons of damage. Notably, a Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount was heavily damaged, with over 50,000 pallets of medication destroyed in the storm.
RELATED: 16 Injured, Buildings & Homes Damaged Following Tornado in Nash, Edgecombe Counties
As reported by WRAL, the near-total destruction of the plant drew virtual cheers from anti-vaccine enthusiasts online. It also brought out conspiracy theories that are literally too outrageous to make up.
One such theory comes from IG user @mymaria777, who suggests that somehow, someway, the folks at Pfizer created the tornado themselves for insurance money.
Seriously, we can’t make this one up.
The user writes, in part, “Hypothetically… if ‘they’ have the ability to manipulate frequency a la DARPA and HAARP to control the weather, and *hypothetically* if the good guys exist, do you believe that those good guys have the same abilities as them? If the bad guys can seed clouds, can the good guys create tornados?”
She continues, “Is this just an insurance claim for big pharma? If everyone is on the same team, but this isn’t part of the movie script, do you think that Mother Earth is sentient? Self aware? Capable of sending a tornado one way or another to destroy a biotechnical hub?”
As much as one would like to come up with a machine to manipulate the weather, a la Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, it just doesn’t work that way.
Thankfully, Instagram flagged the post for misleading information as part of Meta’s partnership with PolitiFact to combat false news and misinformation on its news feed.
By the way, tornadoes are formed from energy released during a thunderstorm, according to NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory. The lab also mentioned that possible methods to disrupt tornadoes would likely cause more damage.
Word to the wise: Follow the experts.
