They are definitely not driving between East Harlem and the South Bronx. No rich people live in either of those places and they don't connect any expensive areas.
Hurricane Sandy was the climate issue that really affected Downtown Manhattan. It's a big part of the reasons why wealthy people actually care about climate change.
People from those "small island nations" are a substantial part of the population of Upper Manhattan and the Bronx. They send a lot of money back home. They are the same people that you consider "poor".