Was shark swimming in road throughout Hurricane Melissa? What video reveals

A viral video depicting a big shark swimming in a flooded Jamaican road made the rounds on social media on Monday forward of Hurricane Melissa’s landfall.

“Look, look, that is a shark,” an individual off-screen will be heard saying within the video. “That is a shark right there in the street.”

Why It Matters

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as an especially harmful Category 5 hurricane with most sustained wind speeds of 185 mph. The storm is the strongest hurricane to hit Jamaica within the island’s historical past. At least seven folks within the Caribbean have been killed.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued quite a few pressing messages forward of the storm’s landfall.

“Jamaica: THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION! TAKE COVER NOW!” the NHC mentioned in the latest key advisory concerning the storm.

Newsweek reached out to the NHC by electronic mail for remark.

What to Know

It’s frequent for hoax images and movies of sharks swimming in flooded streets to floor throughout hurricanes, they usually’re usually shortly debunked.

Although one such video taken of a shark swimming in somebody’s yard in Fort Myers, Florida, throughout Hurricane Ian in 2022 was believed to be true, the latest video shared on TikTok by account @yulian_studios is faux. The creator labeled the video as AI-generated.

The faux video reveals a big shark swimming via streets flooded with storm surge.

“Oh my god, the ocean just came up onto the road,” an individual will be heard saying within the video. “Everything is underwater.”

“[It’s] swimming past the cars,” the individual added as soon as the shark disappeared off display.

TikTok account @yulian_studios creates movies with AI results, in accordance with the consumer’s TikTok profile. Many of the movies have a whole bunch of hundreds of views.

The latest shark video was significantly well-liked, surpassing 2 million views as of Tuesday afternoon simply earlier than 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, not even 24 hours after it was posted.

Shark hoaxes have emerged in lots of hurricanes since a faux picture of a shark swimming via a flooded freeway was first posted in 2012. However, hurricanes and different sturdy storms could make animals act unusually, together with sharks, which may sense the drop in barometric strain, prompting them to flee to safer waters.

What People Are Saying

TikTok consumer @qweenmanifesting3 in response to @yulian_studios AI shark video: “can please stop with the AI when we are seeking real [information] about our families and [country’s] safety?”

TikTok consumer @lentz86 in response to the video: “AI is getting out of hand”

Social media account @RoostersWorldja posted on X on Monday: “As Hurricane Melissa approaches, remember that wildlife will also be affected. Seabirds, our endemic Jamaican boas, and even crocodiles may become displaced and turn up near homes. Please stay safe and, where possible, help protect them. Avoid harming or disturbing any wild animals you encounter — they’re just seeking shelter from the storm. Let’s look out for each other and for Jamaica’s wildlife.”

What Happens Next

People in Jamaica ought to keep of their shelter till the storm passes. Hurricane Melissa will make landfall in japanese Cuba in a single day earlier than taking intention on the Bahamas.