The point is that there's a difference between "this is a thing that has happened" and "this is a thing that happens". The latter thing is the toxic exaggeration of the truth IMO.

Like you're absolutely right that this particular rare event has happened before and I'm not discounting that, but the phrasing of the OPs story more suggests at the form of this story that is the myth that this is a trend and frequent occurrence.

I follow your point. Certainly this is more real than lizard people in the sewer, but not as real as people would have you believe when they casually exaggerate and insinuate that all the homeless around are from elsewhere and are being trucked in to this day.