Those covering the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Florence should be prepared for an "onslaught" of misinformation and disinformation if past is prologue.

That is according to the Harvard Kennedy School's Journalist's Resource, which warns reporters about video or photos on social media or posts, about price gouging for example, that might not be what they seem.

The school has some tips for sorting out the real news from the fake, the heartwarming or heartrending image from the hoax.

1. Verify images through reverse image searches using Google or RevEye or TinEye. Reverse searches allow for uploading an image to find where else it is appearing on the Web. Citing personal experience, the staffers at the schools Shorenstein Center recommend flipping the image horizontally and searching for that, too.

2. Check image metadata and use geolocation to determine where images were captured to identify misinformation.

3, Review past hoaxes to help spot new ones. For example, here is a list of debunked images from Hurricane Irma.

4. Use trusted sources like the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service.

Comcast and Charter Communications said they're collectively opening more than 12,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to non-subscribers across Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence.

Comcast will open about 7,000 hotspots in Savannah and Augusta, Georgia, as well as Charleston, South Carolina. 

Charter said it will open 5,100 hotspots in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Comcast has a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots at www.Xfinity.com/wifi. The cable company said it’s girding its facilities for the pending disaster, bringing in extra generators and fuel trucks, in addition to more technical support staff.

Charter's map can be found at https://www.spectrum.com/wifi-hotspots.

“It’s critical that impacted residents are able to communicate during challenging weather events such as Hurricane Florence,” said Doug Guthrie, regional senior VP for Comcast, in a statement.

With Hurricane Florence baring down on the Southeast, the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia have declared a state of emergency.

However, the storm’s wind speeds declined markedly early Thursday morning, and the hurricane has been downgraded to Category 2. It had grown in size, though, and the National Weather Service warned "this will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast."