Latest news with #AugustusDoricko
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Debunking claim Rainmaker cloud seeding caused Texas floods
Claim: Rainmaker Technology Corporation's cloud seeding mission caused deadly flooding in parts of Texas over Fourth of July weekend in 2025. Rating: Context: Rainmaker did carry out a cloud seeding mission over south-central Texas on July 2, 2025, the company's CEO confirmed. But meteorologists said cloud seeding was not responsible for the powerful storms that led to deadly flooding in Texas. In the aftermath of deadly flash floods that swept through Texas Hill Country in July 2025, some people online suggested the storms may have been manufactured through a weather modification technique called cloud seeding. The cloud seeding operations were conducted by a company called Rainmaker Technology Corporation, the posts alleged. On July 5, 2025, one X user shared what appeared to be screenshots of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report on weather modification activities. The alleged report showed Rainmaker participated in "rain enhancement" in Texas. Similar claims suggesting Rainmaker's cloud seeding caused flooding in Texas circulated elsewhere on X and Instagram. Snopes readers also asked whether cloud seeding caused the Texas floods. Rainmaker did carry out a cloud seeding mission over the eastern part of south-central Texas on July 2, 2025, Augustus Doricko, the company's CEO, confirmed in a thread shared on X. But meteorologists said cloud seeding was not responsible for the powerful storms that led to deadly flooding in Texas. Therefore, we've rated this claim false. Doricko added that the company "did not operate in the affected area on the 3rd or 4th or contribute to the floods that occurred over the region." Cloud seeding is a "decades-old approach to modifying weather that uses a range of supporting technologies for research and operations," the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) explained in a December 2024 report. It is commonly used to increase precipitation or suppress hail, usually by adding tiny particles of silver iodide, the GAO said, citing NOAA. In an email to Snopes, a spokesperson for NOAA debunked claims that cloud seeding was to blame for the deadly Texas storms and resulting floods: The amount of precipitation created by cloud seeding is generally marginal and localized. Meteorologists agree cloud seeding could not generate precipitation of this magnitude or size. Cloud seeding does not add moisture to the atmosphere. This event could only have occurred if abundant moisture was already present. Two meteorologists also independently confirmed cloud seeding did not cause the powerful Texas storms and resulting floods. Travis Herzog, chief meteorologist at ABC13 in Houston, Texas, addressed the claims in a Facebook post on July 6, 2025. He wrote, in part: Cloud seeding cannot create a storm of this magnitude or size. In fact, cloud seeding cannot even create a single cloud. All it can do is take an existing cloud and enhance the rainfall by up to 20%. Most estimates have the rainfall enhancement in a much lower range. Herzog said he was not aware of any cloud seeding operations that occurred on July 3, 2025, but added that it is "physically impossible for that to have created this weather system." Remaining moisture from what was Tropical Storm Barry was "primarily responsible" for the flooding in Texas, Herzog said. "Upper level moisture" from what was once Hurricane Flossie in the Pacific also contributed to the flood event, he added. Jeremy Baker, a meteorologist at KENS 5 in San Antonio, Texas, agreed with Herzog's assessment. In an email to Snopes, he said: No, cloud seeding could not create a storm powerful enough to cause the flooding that occurred in the Hill Country. With optimal moisture and an existing cloud structure, cloud seeding would, at best, enhance rainfall by 10%-20%. This flood was caused by a natural atmospheric low that stalled over the area for several hours. The terrain and tributaries feeding into the Guadalupe only made the situation much worse, resulting in the devastating flood. Heavy flooding isn't uncommon in Texas Hill Country, where the deadly 2025 floods occurred, either. The region is one of the most flood-prone in the nation and has earned the nickname "Flash Flood Alley." The area's "weather and landscape distinctively work together to produce rapid flood events," Leslie Lee with the Texas Water Resources Institute wrote on its website. As far as cloud seeding is concerned, the NOAA spokesperson clarified that the federal agency "does not perform, study, monitor, fund or evaluate" such activities, adding: NOAA is required by law to track weather modification activities by others, including cloud seeding, but has no authority to regulate those activities Cloud seeding is typically practiced by private companies to help generate snow in western mountain bases in the winter or to replenish water reservoirs in the desert southwest in the summer, NOAA said on its website. Any company that intends to take part in weather modification activities within the U.S. is required to provide a report to NOAA at least 10 days beforehand, according to the agency. The NOAA spokesperson addressed the document that circulated on social media, saying it was a "copy of an initial activity report filed in February, noting a private organization's intention to hire a contractor to conduct cloud seeding between March and November." Doricko addressed claims that his company's practices contributed to the flooding in Texas. In an X post shared on July 5, 2025, he said, in part, "Rainmaker did not operate in the affected area on the 3rd or 4th or contribute to the floods that occurred over the region." Doricko confirmed that Rainmaker did seed clouds in south-central Texas on July 2, but said the company did not conduct any operations that could have impacted the floods. In his X post, Doricko wrote, in part: The last seeding mission prior to the July 4th event was during the early afternoon of July 2nd, when a brief cloud seeding mission was flown over the eastern portions of south-central Texas, and two clouds were seeded. The clouds "persisted for about two hours after seeding before dissipating" between 3 and 4 p.m. CDT, Doricko said. The typical lifespan of natural clouds is 30 minutes to a few hours, and it's rare for "even the most persistent storm systems" to maintain "the same cloud structure" for more than 12 to 18 hours, he added. Doricko said the clouds that were seeded on July 2, 2025, "dissipated over 24 hours prior to the developing storm complex that would produce the flooding rainfall" in Texas. He continued: A senior meteorologist observed an unusually high moisture content prior to the event's arrival, using NWS sounding data. It was at this point that our meteorologists determined that we would suspend future operations indefinitely. As you can see, we suspended operations on July 2nd, a day before the NWS issued any flood warning. X (Formerly Twitter), 5 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. 6 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. Staff, KENS. "Meet the KENS 5 Team: Jeremy Baker." KENS, 29 Dec. 2017, Accessed 8 July 2025. Jacobo, Julia, et al. "The History of 'Flash Flood Alley,' the Hilly Region in Texas Prone to Flooding Emergencies." ABC News, 7 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. Lee, Leslie. "Do You Live in Flash Flood Alley? | TWRI." Accessed 8 July 2025. NOAA. "Fact Check: Debunking Weather Modification Claims." 23 Oct. 2024, Accessed 8 July 2025. "NOAA Library: Weather and Climate Collections: Weather Modification Project Reports." 2021, Accessed 8 July 2025.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Did cloud seeding cause the deadly Texas floods? Report sparks outrage after disaster that killed over 100
Recent Texas floods led to conspiracy theories. These theories wrongly blamed cloud seeding company Rainmaker. Augustus Doricko, Rainmaker's founder, faced online anger. Influencers suggested cloud seeding caused the disaster. Scientists deny cloud seeding can cause such heavy rain. Rainmaker had a small operation far from the flooded area. The EPA acknowledges public concerns about geoengineering. Regulation and transparency are essential. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why are people blaming Rainmaker? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What exactly is cloud seeding? What do scientists say about the risks? What sparked the conspiracy theories? What happened during Rainmaker's Texas mission? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How has Rainmaker responded to the backlash? What is the government saying about cloud seeding and geoengineering? FAQs Over 100 people have died in a terrible flood in Texas, and conspiracy theories are once again in the news. Some people are blaming a cloud-seeding company for the heavy rain this time, but scientists strongly disagree. As people get more and more angry online, the facts about changing the weather are getting lost. Rainmaker , a cloud-seeding startup, is getting a lot of hate because conspiracy theories wrongly connected its work to the deadly floods in Texas. The argument has brought up old arguments about geoengineering and changing the Augustus Doricko established a cloud-seeding start-up in 2023, he was aware that he would have to deal with misconceptions and conspiracy theories about the technology. However, he was unprepared for the overwhelming amount of online rage he has encountered following the devastating floods in Texas that have left over 100 people dead and almost twice as many missing, as per a report by The Washington a phone interview on Wednesday, Doricko stated, "It has been constant chaos." Social media posts implying that the floods in Kerr County were a man-made calamity have focused on Doricko and his business, prominent individuals, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, and other influential people, have openly suggested that cloud-seeding operations like Rainmaker's may have caused or at least contributed to the historic flood, as per a report by The Washington technique known as "cloud seeding," in which aircraft disperse dust particles through clouds to cause rain and snow, is still in its infancy. Its effects are too restricted and localized to result in anything approaching the 15 inches of rain that flooded large areas of South Central Texas over the Fourth of July to atmospheric scientists, that is not feasible. Bob Rauber, an emeritus professor of atmospheric science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has researched the technology, said, "The amount of energy involved in making storms like that is astronomical compared to anything you can do with cloud seeding." "We're talking about a very small increase on a natural process at best."Conspiracy theorists continue to use cloud seeding as a flaming explanation for natural disasters despite this. The hunt for a scapegoat has brought attention to a contentious technology that, despite scant proof of its efficacy and larger social and environmental worries about changing the weather, has attracted interest from drought-stricken Western states and dozens of nations seeking to replenish water Runge, Texas, more than 100 miles southeast of Kerr County, a single-engine aircraft operated by the start-up Rainmaker, based in El Segundo, California, flew on a cloud-seeding mission on the afternoon of July to Doricko, the mission was followed by a light drizzle that dumped less than half a centimeter of rain on the arid farms below. It released roughly 70 grams of silver iodide into a pair of clouds over the course of about 20 run was a component of a deal Rainmaker signed this spring to replenish water reservoirs and increase rainfall across cropland with the South Texas Weather Modification Association, a nonprofit organization supported by regional water management claimed that his company's meteorologists quickly canceled their operations in the region after spotting an impending storm front. Parts of Kerr County received up to 15 inches of rain by the morning of July 4 from Tropical Storm Barry's theorists on the internet seized upon the coincidence and demanded "accountability" as documents proving Rainmaker's registration to carry out weather modification projects in Texas were circulated by verified patiently answering more serious questions and participating in live audio events on X to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud seeding, Doricko attempted to brush off the on X with images of Rainmaker's office's exterior and its address were pushed back by natural disasters have given rise to theories about cloud seeding, with some people thinking that these events could be "chemtrails" of evil schemes to change the weather or contaminate the response, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it agrees with the concerns expressed by many Americans regarding the federal government stopped experimenting with cloud seeding in the 1980s, some investors have supported businesses like Rainmaker, which has 58 employees and raised $31 million in venture capital. Building trust will require careful regulation, oversight, and transparency; it is also annoying when online influencers try to place blame for natural According to experts, cloud seeding alone cannot produce enough rainfall to cause such widespread but certain states regulate or prohibit it. Others, particularly in the drought-prone West, actively support cloud-seeding initiatives.
CNN
5 days ago
- Business
- CNN
CEO responds to conspiracy theorists blaming him for Texas floods
CNN's Kaitlan Collins interviews Augustus Doricko, CEO and founder of a cloud seeding company called Rainmaker, after he says he was targeted by conspiracy theorists online in the aftermath of the devastating floods in central Texas.
CNN
5 days ago
- Business
- CNN
CEO responds to conspiracy theorists blaming him for Texas floods
CNN's Kaitlan Collins interviews Augustus Doricko, CEO and founder of a cloud seeding company called Rainmaker, after he says he was targeted by conspiracy theorists online in the aftermath of the devastating floods in central Texas.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Unraveling claims cloud seeding caused deadly Texas floods in 2025
Claim: Rainmaker Technology Corporation's cloud seeding mission caused deadly flooding in parts of Texas over Fourth of July weekend in 2025. Rating: Context: Rainmaker did carry out a cloud seeding mission over south-central Texas on July 2, 2025, the company's CEO confirmed. But meteorologists said cloud seeding was not responsible for the powerful storms that led to deadly flooding in Texas. As the death toll from flash floods in central Texas over the 2025 Fourth of July weekend continued to climb, some people on social media suggested cloud seeding conducted by the company Rainmaker Technology Corporation was to blame for the devastating weather event. The floods killed more than 100 people and left others missing, including girls who attended a summer camp. In a post on July 6, 2025, one X user wrote, in part: Meet AUGUSTUS DORICKO, a 25-YEAR-OLD TECH BRO and THIEL FELLOW, who founded the weather modification startup RAINMAKER. According to publicly available info, Doricko's company was reportedly cloud seeding over parts of Texas just 2 DAYS before historic flooding hit those same regions. On July 5, 2025, another X user shared what appeared to be screenshots of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report on weather modification activities. The alleged report showed Rainmaker participated in "rain enhancement" in Texas. A similar claim suggesting Rainmaker's cloud seeding caused flooding in Texas circulated on Instagram. Snopes readers also asked whether cloud seeding caused the Texas floods. Rainmaker did carry out a cloud seeding mission over the eastern part of south-central Texas on July 2, 2025, Augustus Doricko, the company's CEO, confirmed in a thread shared on X. But meteorologists said cloud seeding was not responsible for the powerful storms that led to deadly flooding in Texas. Therefore, we've rated this claim false. Doricko added that the company "did not operate in the affected area on the 3rd or 4th or contribute to the floods that occurred over the region." Cloud seeding is a "decades-old approach to modifying weather that uses a range of supporting technologies for research and operations," the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) explained in a December 2024 report. It is commonly used to increase precipitation or suppress hail, usually by adding tiny particles of silver iodide, the GAO said, citing NOAA. In an email to Snopes, a spokesperson for NOAA debunked claims that cloud seeding was to blame for the deadly Texas storms and resulting floods: The amount of precipitation created by cloud seeding is generally marginal and localized. Meteorologists agree cloud seeding could not generate precipitation of this magnitude or size. Cloud seeding does not add moisture to the atmosphere. This event could only have occurred if abundant moisture was already present. Two meteorologists also independently confirmed cloud seeding did not cause the powerful Texas storms and resulting floods. Travis Herzog, chief meteorologist at ABC13 in Houston, Texas, addressed the claims in a Facebook post on July 6, 2025. He wrote, in part: Cloud seeding cannot create a storm of this magnitude or size. In fact, cloud seeding cannot even create a single cloud. All it can do is take an existing cloud and enhance the rainfall by up to 20%. Most estimates have the rainfall enhancement in a much lower range. Herzog said he was not aware of any cloud seeding operations that occurred on July 3, 2025, but added that it is "physically impossible for that to have created this weather system." Remaining moisture from what was Tropical Storm Barry was "primarily responsible" for the flooding in Texas, Herzog said. "Upper level moisture" from what was once Hurricane Flossie in the Pacific also contributed to the flood event, he added. Jeremy Baker, a meteorologist at KENS 5 in San Antonio, Texas, agreed with Herzog's assessment. In an email to Snopes, he said: No, cloud seeding could not create a storm powerful enough to cause the flooding that occurred in the Hill Country. With optimal moisture and an existing cloud structure, cloud seeding would, at best, enhance rainfall by 10%-20%. This flood was caused by a natural atmospheric low that stalled over the area for several hours. The terrain and tributaries feeding into the Guadalupe only made the situation much worse, resulting in the devastating flood. The Texas Hill Country region, where the deadly 2025 floods occurred, is prone to flooding, earning the nickname "Flash Flood Alley." "Following the curve of the Balcones Escarpment through Texas' middle — from Waco south to Uvalde — Flash Flood Alley's weather and landscape distinctively work together to produce rapid flood events," Leslie Lee with the Texas Water Resources Institute wrote on its website. The NOAA spokesperson clarified that the federal agency "does not perform, study, monitor, fund or evaluate cloud seeding activities," adding: NOAA is required by law to track weather modification activities by others, including cloud seeding, but has no authority to regulate those activities Cloud seeding is typically practiced by private companies to help generate snow in western mountain bases in the winter or to replenish water reservoirs in the desert southwest in the summer, NOAA said on its website. Any company that intends to take part in weather modification activities within the U.S. is required to provide a report to NOAA at least 10 days beforehand, according to the agency. The NOAA spokesperson addressed the document that circulated on social media, saying it was a "copy of an initial activity report filed in February, noting a private organization's intention to hire a contractor to conduct cloud seeding between March and November." Doricko addressed claims that his company's practices contributed to the flooding in Texas. In an X post shared on July 5, 2025, he said, in part, "Rainmaker did not operate in the affected area on the 3rd or 4th or contribute to the floods that occurred over the region." Doricko confirmed that Rainmaker did seed clouds in south-central Texas on July 2, but said the company did not conduct any operations that could have impacted the floods. In his X post, Doricko wrote, in part: The last seeding mission prior to the July 4th event was during the early afternoon of July 2nd, when a brief cloud seeding mission was flown over the eastern portions of south-central Texas, and two clouds were seeded. The clouds "persisted for about two hours after seeding before dissipating" between 3 and 4 p.m. CDT, Doricko said. The typical lifespan of natural clouds is 30 minutes to a few hours, and it's rare for "even the most persistent storm systems" to maintain "the same cloud structure" for more than 12 to 18 hours, he added. Doricko said the clouds that were seeded on July 2, 2025, "dissipated over 24 hours prior to the developing storm complex that would produce the flooding rainfall" in Texas. He continued: A senior meteorologist observed an unusually high moisture content prior to the event's arrival, using NWS sounding data. It was at this point that our meteorologists determined that we would suspend future operations indefinitely. As you can see, we suspended operations on July 2nd, a day before the NWS issued any flood warning. X (Formerly Twitter), 5 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. 6 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. Staff, KENS. "Meet the KENS 5 Team: Jeremy Baker." KENS, 29 Dec. 2017, Accessed 8 July 2025. Jacobo, Julia, et al. "The History of 'Flash Flood Alley,' the Hilly Region in Texas Prone to Flooding Emergencies." ABC News, 7 July 2025, Accessed 8 July 2025. Lee, Leslie. "Do You Live in Flash Flood Alley? | TWRI." Accessed 8 July 2025. NOAA. "Fact Check: Debunking Weather Modification Claims." 23 Oct. 2024, Accessed 8 July 2025. "NOAA Library: Weather and Climate Collections: Weather Modification Project Reports." 2021, Accessed 8 July 2025.
