Ilana Berger at MMFA:
As Texas and the Caribbean recover from Hurricane Beryl, conspiracy theorists on TikTok say flooding from the Category 5 storm was actually caused by the movements of an ancient mythological sea serpent called a Leviathan.
Rapidly intensifying from a tropical depression on June 28 to a Category 5 hurricane by July 2, Beryl was the earliest recorded Category 5 storm in Atlantic history. A recent analysis found that the hurricane was “fueled by exceptionally warm ocean temperatures,” which are directly attributable to climate change.
Between April and July, Media Matters identified several TikTok videos that accrued millions of views suggesting that the movements of a giant sea monster were responsible for the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, earthquakes, and atmospheric disturbances. Other videos claimed that these events were signs of a Leviathan that would ultimately bring the apocalypse. Right-wing Christian media figures and conspiracy theorists have similarly attributed past natural disasters to cosmic or religious events that are beyond human control to discredit or dismiss how human-caused climate change is fueling extreme weather events.
[...]
Claims that natural disasters allegedly signal the “End Times” are often amplified by right-wing Christian influencers and conspiracy theorists to reject climate science. Media Matters has previously reported how right-wing Christian media figures and TikTok influencers dismiss the reality of climate change by instead citing biblical prophecy, the End Times, or “demonic attack” to explain extreme weather events. Prominent right-wing and Christian media figures have also downplayed climate links to extreme weather events by arguing God controls the weather, while some have cited their faith as a reason to reject taking action on climate change. [Media Matters, 12/11/23]
Extreme weather and conspiracies going together, especially a hurricane such as Beryl, is a sign of climate denialism.
