In late January, a snowstorm hit the East Coast of America, reaching from Delaware to New York and Massachusetts. While the storm only lasted half a week, some states declared emergencies—particularly New York. The city was hit with 19.7 inches of snow, making it the ninth-largest snowstorm in New York’s history. It took many citizens volunteering to get the roads clear and drivable, with Mayor Mamdani taking immediate action to lead the city to safety.

While this was all concerning, reports of a tilted building began to spread, and worry quickly followed. It was the Empire State… leaning?

Many posts and videos were taken from apartment windows and from the streets—X posts, Instagram stories, Snapchats, TikToks. The phenomenon quickly spread across America, faster than the blizzard winds. In disbelief, the streets around the building filled with New Yorkers crowding into the cold snow to get a look at the altered structure.

A leaning structure has only been seen once before with the Tower of Pisa, although that building leans because of the soil beneath it. Humans had never seen wind push a building this large before. Even with such strong winds, furious New Yorkers had no hesitation to parade into the city.

The bizarre scenario quickly gained worldwide attention, with world leaders making comments about Mamdani not being able to stop the tower—as if they believed he should have held it up himself.

Weeks after the storm, heartbroken citizens resumed their daily routines, with roads now clear and safe, as no solution had been found to straighten the building. City leaders instead saw it as an opportunity to attract tourists, renaming the structure the “Empire State Building of Pizza.” While New York is famous for its slices, it is widely believed that someone in charge simply didn’t know how to spell “Pisa.”