New York Area Flooding Is So Intense That A Sea Lion Escaped From Central Park Zoo

Flooding is no joke, and New York City is dealing with it right now. The area has been slammed with as much as 7 inches of rain in some areas which has caused widespread flash flooding.

As you'd expect there have been some wild scenes in the tri-state area.

This is obviously a problem in sports. The Phillies and Mets game was postponed, while the Rangers and Islanders preseason game was as well.

Then there are the problems that no one probably thought of until it became apparent that it's a problem. Like what to do if the water gets so high that the sea lions in Central Park Zoo can escape.

Because that is exactly what happened.

According to reports, the water in the sea lion enclosure got so high that it allowed one female sea lion to easily escape the enclosure.

Zoo Officials Kept An Eye On The Rogue Sea Lion

Fortunately, according to The New York Times, zoo officials kept a close eye on the situation to ensure that no one — man or sea lion — ended up getting hurt because of the daring escape.

I don't know about you, but I saw shades of Planet of the Apes when I saw that video. Yeah, I'm not as concerned about humanity being overthrown by mammals who thought living mostly in water was a good idea. They're not super bright if they evolved into water-dwelling animals knowing full well they had to breathe air.

Still, it's unnerving... also, kind of hilarious.

After a little kook-see around the flooded zoo, the female sea lion escapee made her way back to her pool. Eventually, waters receded enough to keep animals contained in their respective enclosures

Hopefully, everything works out in New York City over the coming days. This way the Great Central Park Sea Lion Escape of '23 remains nothing more than a goofy footnote to an inconvenient weekend.

Flash floods are nothing to mess with, so stay safe if you're in the area.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle