Fact Check: The Simpsons and Hurricane Milton Prediction – Debunking Viral Social Media Claims

Fans of the iconic animated series, The Simpsons, have recently suggested that the show predicted Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida. In the 1996 episode titled “Hurricane Neddy,”the fictional town of Springfield faces chaos as residents prepare for an impending hurricane.

On October 9, an X user named @matttttt187 shared a video purportedly from this episode. The caption posed a provocative question:

“Did The Simpsons Forewarn Us About Hurricane Milton and The Concealed Threats Ahead?”

In contrast, another X account, @LeadStoriesCom, stepped in to debunk these claims. Their post, which came out on October 15, was captioned:

“Fact Check: FAKE Scene From ‘The Simpsons’ Depicts Hurricane Milton — Actual Scene Features ‘Hurricane Barbara’.”

Moreover, a report from October 14 on their website confirms that the reference to “Hurricane Milton,”a storm that made landfall in Florida in October 2024, was digitally inserted into the misleading clip.

The altered footage showcased what looked like a genuine episode of The Simpsons, featuring a scene where the hurricane’s name appeared during a news broadcast.

Yet, the actual storm depicted in that episode was Hurricane Barbara.

The Simpsons episode featured a fictional cyclone rather than Hurricane Milton

The show didn’t predict the hurricane (Image via Disney+ Hotstar)

Similar allegations have arisen on Facebook as well, with numerous users echoing the same sentiments. On October 19, one user, Juan Bergman, shared a reel featuring a clip from The Simpsons, asserting that the series accurately foretold Hurricane Milton’s emergence.

Additionally, on October 14, another Facebook user named Adcave posted a collage showing the real hurricane alongside the episode’s storm images, writing:

“The Simpsons have done it again! This immensely popular show is famous for its seemingly accurate predictions, and this time, fans contend that it hinted at Hurricane Milton’s coming in an episode from 1996. How is this possible?”

On October 10, user Tallman Rosario put forth a similar theory comparing two different videos: one capturing the actual hurricane and the other from the specific episode of the series.

These claims likely arose due to the similarities between the storm featured in the December 29, 1996 episode and the recent Hurricane Milton, which wreaked havoc across Florida, triggering 36 tornadoes.

In season 8, episode 8 of The Simpsons, the family experiences panic as they receive a hurricane warning. The ensuing hurricane leads to flooding that inundates the streets and reaches the second floors of buildings, resulting in residents fleeing in rafts.

Additionally, even though many citizens evacuated per the authorities’ instructions, the episode confirms the unfortunate deaths of four characters.

In contrast, Hurricane Milton prompted real-life evacuations as Floridians sought safety while rescue teams worked diligently to assist those stranded.

According to an October 18 report from Times Now News, a TikTok video by Make Your Day amassed over 40,000 likes and approximately 1.6 million views, and was among the first to highlight the parallels between the episode and the hurricane.

Since then, various posts have emerged discussing the likenesses between the Hurricane Neddy storyline and the actual events surrounding Hurricane Milton.

Fans even recalled earlier episodes that seemed to foreshadow an uptick in hurricanes in Florida, including a 2013 episode where a storm battered Saint Lucie County, leaving the characters struggling against floodwaters.

Nonetheless, Check Your Facts debunked these assertions in their October 15 report, stating that all such claims are unfounded and that the video in question has been manipulated. The excerpt from the classic The Simpsons episode showcases a completely different fictional storm.

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