Viral Claim Debunked: Alabama Power Outage Triggered by Secret Cyberattack, Not Storms
A viral social media post claims that the widespread Alabama power outage affecting thousands was caused by a covert Russian cyberattack targeting state infrastructure, not the severe thunderstorms reported by Alabama Power. This rumor originated from a parody X account posing as a local journalist, but Alabama Power officials have confirmed that the outage was caused by high winds damaging transmission lines near Birmingham, with no evidence of hacking or foreign interference. The company has restored power to 97% of affected customers. Always verify outage causes with official sources like Alabama Power or local emergency management.