A Facebook (FB) netizen posted a video allegedly showing tornadoes and flooding in Dubai this year. This is misleading. A few of the clips used were taken in 2023, while others were footage with digitally-inserted storm images shot in other countries.
The 68-second video was posted on July 17, a day after the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology warned of rain along the country’s southwest portion. It showed the text ‘Dubai city flood 2024’ and also carried this caption: “Tornado & flood 😱 Katakot grabe (Tornado and flood, it’s scary).”
This is misleading. Out of the 18 videos in the FB Reel, two showed one-year-old videos of heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) specifically in Dubai and nearby Sharjah, while others were recordings of tornadoes and storms in other countries inserted into the current footage.
One video of a heavy windstorm in Sharjah, UAE was posted by YouTube user Muhammad Abdullah Shafiq on Aug. 7, 2023. Another clip of heavy rains in UAE on Aug. 5, 2023, posted by a YouTube user was also used.
Seven of the video clips came from the TikTok account @rtsarovvideo, which posts “videos real & edited” about “severe weather and natural disasters,” according to the account’s bio on TikTok and YouTube.
- A digitally-edited video of a trash bin being blown during a sea-based tornado. The original video was uploaded Oct. 15, 2023;
- A digitally-edited video of a gray storm, allegedly from Cuba. The original video was uploaded Sept. 5, 2023;
- A digitally-edited video of a storm approaching a container ship near a coastline. The original video was uploaded Dec. 1, 2023;
- A digitally-edited video of a fire tornado in a distant coastline. The original video was uploaded Jan. 2, 2024.
- A digitally-edited video of a gray tornado with lightning. The original video was uploaded Nov. 19, 2023;
- A digitally-edited video of a small tornado in front of a metal gate. The original video was uploaded Nov. 14, 2023;
- A digitally-edited video of a tornado allegedly hitting an unspecified mainland. The original video was uploaded May 10;
VERA Files Fact Check contacted the person behind @rtsarovvideo via email, but has yet to receive a response as of publishing time.
Another clip supposedly showing a storm’s eyewall in a coastal town originated from a post from Instagram user Brent Shavnore dated May 20, 2019. Fact-checking arms of Reuters and Times of India debunked other videos that used the Instagram post in false contexts.
The misleading video also took old clips of other floods, tsunamis, and storms that did not occur in Dubai but which hit parts of Asia and Europe, namely:
- A video of a flood in Fujian, China, caused by Typhoon Doksuri. A user on X (formerly Twitter) posted a version of the video on July 30, 2023;
- A video of heavy rain floods at the parking lot of 101 Mall in Puchong, Selangor state of Malaysia, dated Dec. 17, 2023. See the related news articles here, here, here.
- A tsunami hitting a coast in the Eastern European country of Georgia. The video was posted to TikTok on Nov. 28, 2023.
- A video of trees and roofs being blown away during a storm in Valcea, Romania, posted by TikTok user @tbogdan9926 on July 4, 2022.
The misleading FB reel garnered a total of over 14,200 reactions, 723 comments, and 2,700 shares.
