As the US are bracing themselves for ever more dangerous tropical weather events, hurricane-related hoaxes are taking over social media.
Fake stories and pictures are spreading at the speed of light, taking advantage of people's fear and need for reassurance.
To help you reporting on hurricanes correctly, Daniel Funke rounded up these nine tips on how to spot fake hurricane news.
"Know a few basic facts," writes Funke. "This may seem obvious, but in the past, there have been false reports that hurricanes were upgraded to Category 6 storms due to their strength — a classification that doesn’t exist."
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