A full moon has contributed to high floodwater levels causing mayhem across New York City as Friday’s torrential downpours prompted officials to declare a state of emergency.
But some might speculate that it’s also to blame for brazen, strange and risky behavior exhibited by New Yorkers who have taken to the streets to swim, dance, drive and walk their dogs as the record rains flood subways, roads and buildings.
Many people have been seen in social media videos braving the wild weather while others take advantage of it in various unconventional ways.
One man was filmed dressed in a banana costume while busting a groove in the knee-deep waters as another person filmed him and onlookers passed by.
The clip, believed to have been taken in the Big Apple, was filmed on a street inundated with flash floods from the barrage of rainfall.
In another clip, a man can be seen walking his dog through a street-turned-river as the rain pelted down on the area.
“It’s one thing to be silly out in floodwater, but don’t bring your dog into it,” one Instagram user wrote.
“He’ll wake up tomorrow with a green fungus growing on his legs and his unmentionable,” another commented.
“Anything for a damn selfie,” snarked another user.
Several videos surfaced of people swimming through flooded subway stations as the system buckled under the extreme weather conditions.
“People are dumb,” one Twitter user wrote in response to a video of a woman wading through subway waters.
Another clip showed a person swimming in the East River alongside a person in a kayak as the flood waters drastically rose and residents were warned to stay indoors.
“I think we need to know who this guy is! Training to swim Miami to Cuba or something??” a Twitter user wrote in response to the footage.
Other videos captured people driving cars, mopeds and bicycles through flooded streets, with some getting stuck in the dangerous waters.
In one case, a man can be seen lying horizontally out a car window as his vehicle becomes submerged.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday across the Big Apple, Long Island and the Hudson Valley due to extreme rainfall and flooding.
“This is a dangerous, life-threatening storm,” Hochul said.
Inches of rain have fallen across the New York metro area since midnight, with much more to come, despite periodic breaks in the heaviest rain, according to authorities.
“This is a dangerous weather condition and it is not over,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a Friday morning news briefing.
“I don’t want those gaps in heavy rain to give the appearance that it is over, it is not.”
No storm-related deaths or critical injuries had been reported as of midday, city officials said.