February 24, 2026 NEW YORK, NY Just when New Yorkers thought the Blizzard of 2026 couldn't get any more chaotic, the ground literally gave way in the shadow of power. On Monday afternoon, a massive NYC Parks Department snowplow was "eaten" by a sudden sinkhole right outside City Hall, leaving onlookers stunned and crews scrambling.
The Moment the Earth Opened Up
It was just after noon on February 23rd at the tip of City Hall Park. A heavy-duty truck, loaded with sand to battle the icy aftermath of the storm, was clearing the sidewalk off Park Place. Without warning, the pavement fractured, and the rear of the heavy vehicle plunged into the earth.
Sources at the scene say the sheer weight of the "heavy, wet snow" combined with the truck’s payload of sand was too much for the aging infrastructure to handle. For hours, city workers were spotted frantically digging out snow by hand, trying to bridge the gap between the fractured ground and the trapped machinery.
The Good News: Miraculously, no injuries were reported. The driver walked away, but the plow remained lodged in the abyss for most of the afternoon.
A City Under Siege: Trees Toppling Everywhere
The sinkhole wasn't the only nightmare facing the FDNY and emergency crews. As the blizzard's howling winds whipped through the concrete canyons, Manhattan’s iconic trees began to snap like toothpicks.
The carnage stretched from the Upper East Side down to the East Village:
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Park Avenue & East 68th St: A massive tree toppled at the height of the storm Sunday night, requiring FDNY chainsaws to clear the road.
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West 82nd Street: Broadway and Amsterdam were blocked Monday morning by another fallen giant.
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East 19th Street: A tree crushed a construction site, bringing work to a grinding halt.
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East 12th Street: Traffic was paralyzed near Fifth Avenue as another side street was shut down by debris.
