Footage of Swimming Rat Is From the Philippines, Not NYC
The Claim
Footage of a rat swimming in dirty floodwaters is from recent flooding in New York City.
News posted on
Emerging story
Hurricane Ida devastated the area around New York last week, causing severe flooding. Social media users posted footage of the storm and aftermath, and one video shows a rat swimming in what appears to be floodwaters. The rat maneuvers oddly through the water out of entertainment or distress. Users captioned the footage “Flooding in NYC is on another level.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation showed the footage is actually from the Philippines and was originally posted July 22. The video blogger responsible for uploading the footage told Reuters that the flooding in the video was inside his home after heavy rains.
Flooding in NYC, in particular the underground subway system, is a very real threat. Social media users posted lots of actual footage. Including this video showing gushing water in a subway terminal. Increasingly catastrophic events are expected due to climate change. Scientists have predicted more extreme weather for decades.
