This project examines misinformation as an emerging threat with both national and local implications. Existing research has examined misinformation mainly as a disruptive factor in emergencies and other events of public, political, and social significance, or as part of the broader cyber domain, including the theft, manipulation, or compromise of information and digital systems. Taking a different approach, this project centers on misinformation as a threat in its own right- one capable of eroding institutional trust, disrupting decision-making and coordination, reducing compliance with official guidance, and generating new forms of political, social, and institutional instability. In this sense, contested information may introduce an adversarial dimension that is not immediately apparent. Recognizing this dimension changes how institutions interpret the threat and organize their response. 

This is especially relevant during emergencies, when urgency, uncertainty, and reliance on timely and reliable information can amplify its effects. Because such threats may be difficult to attribute, evolve rapidly, and become consequential before their full scope is clear, the project also considers what anticipatory and preparedness measures institutions need in order to recognize, assess, and respond to them effectively.The central empirical case is Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, where widespread physical destruction, damaged infrastructure, disrupted communications, and isolated communities created an urgent need for reliable information. In this setting, misinformation complicated recovery efforts, undermined trust, and created additional challenges for emergency agencies and responders. 

The project also draws on additional examples, including misinformation during COVID-19 and the fabricated Ebola outbreak in Atlanta, to show that contested information can both intensify an existing crisis and create the appearance of one where none exists. Together, these cases demonstrate that misinformation is not merely an online or reputational problem, but an operational challenge with consequences for public cooperation, assistance delivery, interorganizational coordination, and local emergency management.