A viral photo on Facebook appears to shows a young girl escaping flooding on a boat with her dog.

Verdict: False

The image is AI generated.

Fact Check:

Officials across the southeastern U.S. are warning the death toll from Hurricane Helene is expected to rise, according to USA Today. The death toll has risen to over 200 after historic floods that devastated westewrn North Carolina and other town subsided, the outlet reported.

An image is circulating of a crying young girl wearing life jacket, floating in a green boat as she desperately holds onto her puppy. Another boat is seen behind her carrying at least two men as it makes it’s way down an extremely flooded street.

The image, however, is not real. It was generated using AI. Check Your Fact used popular AI detection website SightEngine to scan the image, which showed that it has a 99% chance of being AI generated.

Other users have notices irregularities in the image itself, namely the man in the background missing an arm as well as the green boat that seems to be disappearing. A reverse image search using Google also did not turn up any matching photos. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Donald Trump Walking Through Hurricane Helene Flood Waters?)

Another day, another AI generated image of a hurricane Helene victim is doing the rounds.
Tell tale signs include the unnatural sheen, a disappearing green boat and a man with a seemingly missing limb in the background. https://t.co/y0wGxjcRVN pic.twitter.com/7B6ABz4DeX

— Olga Robinson (@O_Rob1nson) October 3, 2024

Users on X have utilized the platform’s Community Note feature on high follower accounts that have shared this image. It has been noted that this image began circulating from a forum called “patriots.win,” a message board seemingly dedicated to the re-election of former President Donald Trump.

This is not the first time AI generated images have circulated regarding Hurricane Helene. Check Your Fact recently reported about a fake photo being circulated that showed Mr. Trump wading through flood waters on a recent visit to the battered region.