Video miscaptions old footage as Tropical Storm Debby in North Carolina | Fact check

The claim: Video shows Tropical Storm Debby in North Carolina on Aug. 7

An Aug. 7 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a montage of flooding and storm surge footage.

"Tropical Storm Debby in North Carolina," reads text superimposed over the image. "7 August, 2024."

The video was shared more than 4,000 times in five days.

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Our rating: False

The video does not show flooding in North Carolina from Tropical Storm Debby, according to an area meteorologist. The video includes old footage and clips from other places.

Video shows more intense flooding than Debby caused

Beginning on Aug. 6, Tropical Storm Debby caused heavy rainfall in North Carolina.

However, Nick Petro, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service who conducted storm-related damage surveys in the area, told USA TODAY the video does not show that event. He said the flooding shown in the video was too extreme.

"I was out on the road surveying all day," he said. "There was nothing like you see in that video."

He also said some of the landscapes and foliage shown in the video don't match those in North Carolina.

The video includes clips from Florida and Turkey and one clip that appears to show debris associated with a 2011 tsunami in Japan. Another clip in the video was posted online prior to Aug. 7.

Fact check: Video shows old footage, not July 7 'beach tornado' in Florida

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Nick Petro, August 9, Phone interview with USA TODAY

• CBS News (YouTube), Feb. 29, 2012, CBS This Morning - Japan tsunami debris nearing U.S. shores

• Worldnewsamerica (YouTube), March 14, 2011, What's On Tonight on BBC World News America

• Google Maps, accessed Aug. 12, 401 NE 3rd Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL

• Cledson.grant, June 12, TikTok post

• Daily Sabah, March 15, 2023, Death toll from floods in Türkiye's quake zone climbs to 14

• China Daily, March 17, 2023, Deadly floods hit Turkish quake recovery

• North Carolina State Climate Office, Aug. 12, Rapid Reaction: Debby Drenches NC in Multi-Day Rain Event

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video includes old footage, not Aug. 7 clips of Debby | Fact check