NYC Homecoming concert is dramatically CANCELLED half way in as Hurricane Henri barrels down on city

New York City’s homecoming concert has been dramatically cancelled half way through and revelers were told to leave Central Park immediately and seek shelter as Hurricane Henri barreled down on the city.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC officials had ignored a tropical storm watch for the Big Apple and insisted that the homecoming concert would continue as planned.

But just after 7:30pm, concertgoers were told to leave the ‘We Love NYC, The Homecoming Concert’ on the Great Lawn in Central Park, and seek shelter as thunderstorms started. 

New York City is under a State of Emergency due to incoming Hurricane Henri

Earlier, de Blasio had tweeted: ‘As of now we do not expect the weather to have any major impact on tonight’s concert in Central Park and the show will go on! If there are any changes in the forecast we will update New Yorkers immediately’. 

On Saturday a sea of unmasked New Yorkers packed Central Park to watch a star-studded line up of performers as Hurricane Henri is on the horizon. 

On Saturday a sea of unmasked New Yorkers packed Central Park to watch a star-studded line up of performers as Hurricane Henri is on the horizon.

On Saturday a sea of unmasked New Yorkers packed Central Park to watch a star-studded line up of performers as Hurricane Henri is on the horizon

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson performs with New York Philharmonic onstage during We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert on Saturday

Andrea Bocelli performs onstage with the New York Philharmonic during We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert Saturday 

Carlos Santana performs during We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert Produced by NYC on Saturday

Mayor Bill de Blasio mask up for Saturday’s  We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert in Central Park

Shuck Schumer  riles the crows up during Saturday’s We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert

Henri is set to make landfall in Long Island or southern New England late Saturday or early Sunday at or near hurricane strength, with winds that could reach 80 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. 

Hurricane Henri is expected to bring serious wind damage to the east coast, 3 to 6 inches of rain and up to 5 feet of storm surge. 

Earlier today de Blasio announced NYC is under a Tropical Storm Warning and to expect strong winds and rain to begin late Saturday through Sunday. 

‘Right now, from what we’re hearing, the real impacts are tomorrow but we want to start warning people now, we want you to make your plans the right way, to really minimize activity tomorrow to the maximum extent possible,’ de Blasio said during a Saturday press briefing. ‘Stay off the roads, stay indoors, there’s going to be heavy winds, a lot of rain, we could definitely be seeing some trees falling down, we need people to be safe so I’m telling you now so you can alter your plans, prepare your plans for tomorrow. Stay in, to the maximum extent possible.’

NHC has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for portions of Long Island and southern New England, affecting over 5 million people, USA Today reported. 

Henri is set to make landfall in Long Island or southern New England late Saturday or early Sunday at or near hurricane strength, with winds that could reach 80 mph

Earlier today de Blasio announced NYC is under a Tropical Storm Warning and to expect strong winds and rain to begin late Saturday through Sunday

All the while, big name headliners including Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Hudson entertain a crowd of up to 60,000 in Central Park. 

Also set to perform are Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Santana, Jon Batiste, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Earth, Wind & Fire and others. 

Organized by Brooklyn-born music mogul Clive Davis, the concert is meant to celebrate New York City’s reopening after the pandemic, despite rising COVID cases nationwide.

NYC’s largest concert since the pandemic began in early 2020, the free show is only open to attendees over the age of 12 who provide proof of vaccination, and won’t be required to wear masks. 

Bad weather is not the only factor that makes the homecoming celebration’s timing off. 

The concert comes as COVID cases have surged in New York City, with the the Delta variant now accounting for 94 percent of all positive samples

NBC New York reports that the five counties that comprise New York City are considered ‘high transmission’ areas per the CDC, but the transmission rate (total new cases per 100,000 people over the prior seven days) is down about three percent in just the last week, according to the city health department’s latest update Friday.

The city’s latest data shows New York’s seven day average of new diagnoses currently sits at 1,683, slightly down from the 1,892 average recorded last week – but well above the 197 rolling average seen in July, before Delta hit.

In total, NYC has had 2.22 million confirmed cases of COVID and 53,548 deaths.

Earlier this month, de Blasio announced the ‘Key to NYC’ emergency executive order aimed at combatting the delta surge.

The order requires New Yorkers to provide proof of vaccination for individuals to enter certain indoor establishments effective August 17.

It has sparked controversy among some business owners, who claim the scheme is pointless, discriminatory and difficult to enforce.