FACT CHECK: Did US Marines Block A FEMA Convoy From Entering Nebraska Following A Recent Tornado?
A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. Marines purportedly blocked a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) convoy from entering Nebraska following a recent tornado.
Verdict: False
The claim is false and stems from an April 28 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.”
Fact Check:
Multiple tornadoes struck Nebraska and Iowa on April 26, according to The Associated Press. At least five people are dead as a result of the natural disaster, NBC News reported.
The Facebook post claims U.S. Marines purportedly blocked a FEMA convoy from entering Nebraska following a recent tornado.
The claim is false and stems from an April 28 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice on legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.
According to the same article, the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command purportedly “eavesdropped on a telephone conversation between FEMA Director Deanne Criswell and a Mission Support Associate Administrator Tami Franklin” in which the pair discussed sending a caravan into Omaha, Nebraska, following a recent tornado. A team of Marines was then deployed to Nebraska, where they intercepted the convoy, which supposedly contained a small stash of guns and ammo.
Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. Lead Stories also reported the claim originally stemmed from Real Raw News via a May 1 article. In addition, the claim is neither referenced on FEMA’s website nor its verified social media accounts. The U.S. Marine Corps also has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Did U.S. Marines Rescue 11 Kidnapped Children In Kansas?)
Check Your Fact has contacted FEMA for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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