Texas Senator Ted Cruz rejects claims linking recent flash flooding to weather manipulation
In the aftermath of the devastating floods that hit Texas, a conspiracy theory has gained traction online, suggesting that cloud seeding programs triggered the disaster. The theory, which originated from various social media posts, claims that Texas was running "seven massive cloud seeding programs," linking the floods to operations conducted by Rainmaker Technology Corporation, a weather modification startup partly funded by billionaire Peter Thiel.
The theory gained momentum when it was promoted by Mike Flynn, former national security advisor to Donald Trump and an influential figure in the QAnon movement. Republican figures such as congressional candidate Kandiss Taylor and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have also echoed the claims, with the latter pushing legislation to criminalize weather modification and publicly criticizing cloud seeding efforts.
However, meteorologists and experts have firmly debunked these claims. They explain that cloud seeding, which disperses substances like silver iodide into clouds to encourage rainfall, is not capable of causing the scale of flooding seen in Texas. The floods were instead caused by natural weather phenomena—heavy rainfall from storms converging with Tropical Storm Barry remnants.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, publicly rejected the conspiracy theories, stating there is "zero evidence" linking weather modification to the flooding. He described the conspiracy claims as "crazy theories" propagated by internet speculation. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, while actively promoting the weather manipulation narrative, has not commented further on the matter.
President Donald Trump's administration, through EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, has taken a nuanced approach by releasing resources to debunk weather modification myths claiming government manipulation of weather events, such as "chemtrails." The administration aims to address public concerns transparently without outright dismissing skeptic questions, in part to avoid alienating the MAGA base. However, Trump's allies have amplified some of the conspiracy rhetoric, complicating the effort to present scientific facts.
In summary, while conspiracy theories alleging that cloud seeding caused the Texas floods have rapidly spread online and been amplified by some Republican politicians and Trump allies, scientific authorities and Sen. Ted Cruz have rejected these claims as unfounded. The floods are understood by experts to result from natural meteorological causes rather than human-engineered weather modification.
- Gizmodo published an article debunking the claim that cloud seeding programs triggered the Texas floods, as the theory has been promoted by figures like Mike Flynn and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
- Despite Republican politicians like Kandiss Taylor and Marjorie Taylor Greene echoing the claims, meteorologists and experts have consistently explained that cloud seeding is not capable of causing the scale of flooding seen in Texas.
- In response to the conspiracy theories, Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, stated that there is "zero evidence" linking weather modification to the flooding, describing the claims as "crazy theories" propagated by internet speculation.
- To address public concerns and avoid alienating the MAGA base, the Trump administration has released resources to debunk weather modification myths, such as chemtrails, while some of the president's allies have amplified conspiracy rhetoric, complicating the effort to present scientific facts.
- The future of weather modification technology and policies, including cloud seeding programs, may be a subject of discussion on social media, entertainment outlets, and even politics, but it remains essential to rely on general news, technology, and science for accurate information on these matters.
