Fabricated photo appears to show Gatlinburg, Tennessee, flooded. But the city was spared floodwaters

Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in Tennessee, where rivers swelled and deadly floodwaters swept people away. But a purported image of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, that’s spreading on social media isn’t authentic. 

“Gatlinburg, Tennessee today,” a Sept. 30 Facebook post said, sharing an image of a flooded street with cars submerged and tree branches floating in the water. 

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

That’s because “this is an AI photo and not real,” the city of Gatlinburg said on X in response to an account sharing the image and wrongly describing it as showing Gatlinburg on Sept. 28.

The city also shared the photo on its account, saying: “This was NOT Gatlinburg.”

A few days later, the city shared a post from the city’s convention and visitors bureau, which noted Gatlinburg wasn’t even flooded. 

“Many of you have asked how to help our neighbors affected by the flooding from Hurricane Helene across East TN & NC,” the post said, using the postal abbreviations for Tennessee and North Carolina and providing a link to donate. “While Gatlinburg was fortunate to not be flooded and is open, many around us were severely impacted.” 

The bureau’s website said Oct. 2 that “Gatlinburg is open and welcomes visitors.” 

“We’re receiving several inquiries from potential visitors about conditions in Gatlinburg,” the site said. “Our businesses were unaffected by the recent hurricane and Gatlinburg welcomes those who can safely travel using open, clear routes.”

We rate claims this is an authentic photo of Gatlinburg flooded False.