New York City Rat Breaststrokes Amid Hurricane Ida Floods, Goes Viral

BYHayley Hynes42.2K Views
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The streets of New York City have been filling up with water (and rats) amidst Hurricane Ida.

After a summer of particularly heinous weather in New York, another round of flooding thanks to Hurricane Ida has sent the city into a spiral. When the weather turns like this, it’s not uncommon to see clips on social media of the streets filling up as natives and tourists wade through the water, or take cover in random awnings as the storm passes. 

While humans may not be particularly fond of their city being turned into a swimming pool, there’s a group of NYC residents who don’t seem to mind quite as much - the rats.

In a video posted to The Shade Room late on Wednesday, a rat, who at first appears to be struggling, can be seen splashing about in the water, even doing some flips as he treads.

“Rats are expert swimmers and can hold their breath for up to 3 minutes underwater,” the caption reads. “They can tread water for up to 3 days without stopping.”

It’s not clear whether the video is actually recent, but with the creatures taking over the city right now, people can’t help but laugh at how relatable it is. While the rodents remain unbothered, Twitter has been having a field day responding to the viral clip of our furry Michael Phelps.

The city of New York may be filling up with water, but at least we know the rats are prepared.

Would you be brave enough to walk through the rodent water, or are you staying dry at home through the flood? Let us know in the comments. 


About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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