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The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoax Photo Database, the Hoax Forum, and the Hoaxipedia.

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RUDE ROVER
The Christmas dog with no class! He sings and toots Jingle Bells.
INFLATABLE TREE
Who needs the hassle of a real Christmas tree?
FARTING SANTA
Go ahead and pull his finger!

I first received these photos in early July, after Calgary and area had experienced days of rain and floods. The email's subject was "storms in Southern Alberta". I knew that these storms didn't happen here!! I just burst out laughing when I received them again in August, now titled "storms in Toronto area"! My friend at work received them the same week, titled "storms in Fergus and Barrie, Ontario".
Every time I receive an email now with a picture that seems too good to be true, I check with a hoax site first. I also send a link to either this site or snopes.com to the person who sent me the email....I wish people would be a bit more discriminating about what they forward.

Yep they've turned up again. I've just been sent this same set as being photos of Hurricane Katrina.

I stumbled across this forum whilst reseaching an apparant increase in Tornado's in Western Australia for a documentary I'm working on.

Allow me to settle the argument irrefutably.

The pictures in question cannot possibly be of the storms experienced in Bunbury WA on 16-05-2005, because the storms hit Bunbury and Metropolitan Perth BEFORE sunrise.

If however, anybody does have any pictures or footage of any tornado's in Western Australia (according to official burinformation, Perth experiences an average of 6 per year) then I would love to hear from you.

I can be contacted by email -

Adam, this issue has long ago, and in this very thread, been settled irrefutably, even down to identifying _exactly_ where the photos were taken, by whom, and when. To cut a long story short, earlier posts point you to:

http://extremeinstability.com/2004photos.htm

wherein all is revealed.

regards,
Shel

These pictures were taken in near Orangeville Ontario Canada by a friends sisters friend. As I got them exactly 2 days post the Tornado that hit the Orangeville/Erin / Toronto area on Aug 18th.

I've now seen this doing the rounds as "Hurricane Katrina"

Media Watch (ABC) did a piece on it the other night. Not only did the W.A newspapers use Hollingshead's photos incorrectly, but I think the Herald & even the tv show Sunrise featured them. Talk about not doing your homework!

I'm not posting to refute where the photos actually came from. But to add something. About a month or a month and a half, my secretary showed me these pictures claiming they were the Orangeville tornado. I believed her until I got home and realized it was a hoax. I cannot believe that people STILL believe every fucking thing that comes into their inbox.

tell me more because i am doing a project on austrilian weather

Ashley, this issue has long ago, and in this very thread, been settled irrefutably, even down to identifying _exactly_ where the photos were taken, by whom, and when. To cut a long story short, earlier posts point you to:

http://extremeinstability.com/2004photos.htm

wherein all is revealed.

At least Aussies can establish facts for themselves without having to "wait until Snopes gets holds of this to know for sure".

regards,
Shel

hahahah!!!
man did have a laugh when i seen those photos!! i live in bunbury and believe me if they hit us we wouldn't be on the map!!! it was a cyclone not a tornado!! honestly that's the sort of stuff we see in the cinemas!!

..., but, and, .... in Australia do they travel generally NW to SE ?

Sbcoleridge, yes, they do. At least in Western Australia, where Bunbury is located.

These photos are not of the storm that hit Settlers in Australind as the storm hit at night, early morning. So as theres plenty of daylight around the tornado photo's i think someones pulling our chains. Plus as a home owner in Australind i have never seen such storms like this during daylight hours.

James et al, this issue has died long ago, and in this very thread has been settled irrefutably, even down to identifying _exactly_ where the photos were taken, by whom, and when. To cut a long story short, earlier posts point you to:

http://extremeinstability.com/2004photos.htm

wherein all is revealed.

Trouble is, people don't seem to be in the habit of checking previous posts in a forum such as this before commenting
Shel

i live in bunbury and there arnt anything like this.... it doesnt even rain much in bunbury who the hell said this is in bunbury aus?