Declassified CIA Files Reveal Cold War Weather Modification Programs

Speaking at a commencement address in May 1962 while serving as vice president, Johnson said, “He who controls the weather will control the world.”

That remark has resurfaced alongside the declassified files.

During Johnson’s presidency, the U.S. did in fact pursue known weather modification programs.

One was Project Stormfury, a federal effort aimed at weakening hurricanes by flying aircraft into storm systems and seeding clouds with silver iodide in an attempt to disrupt storm structure.