At last some good news for New Yorkers: Thousands of RATS may have drowned in superstorm as water swept into city's tunnels
- Water rushed into tunnels so fast that most rats would have drowned
- Any survivors will be treated to a garbage feast once things dry out
- Health risks now depend on how quickly subway tunnels can be cleared
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, fears were rife that the streets would be overrun with rats escaping the flooded tunnels and subways.
But it now looks as if those fears may have been groundless as there have not, as yet, been any reports of rodents roaming the streets.
Experts are saying the water likely rushed into tunnels so fast that the rats - despite being strong swimmers - had no time to escape and died.
Casualties: A family of rats drowned on the FDR Drive as they were trying to escape the flood waters
Sam Miller, a spokesman for the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told Forbes the city has not seen an increase in rats above ground caused by Sandy, adding that while flooding normally does drive them to the streets, it 'also drowns young rats in their burrows and can reduce the rat population'.
Rodentologist Robert Corrigan, who works with the city on keeping populations under control, told LiveScience that baby rats will likely die unless they are carried to safety by their mothers.
Vermin: Fears of a rat influx on New York's streets have so far proven unfounded (stock picture)
Another expert, Herwig Leirs, a rodentologist at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, confirmed that most would drown.
'Rats will be carried away by the current and won't be strong enough to swim to the surface and breathe, or they'll be pushed to grates, they will get stuck there and they won't be strong enough to swim against the current,' he said.
However, the rats that are able to survive the floodwaters will be treated to a surge of garbage and food to feast on once things have dried out.
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