Images began to circulate online of the desert metropolis, famous for its sunny climate and extravagant displays of wealth, swamped by floodwater. “Crypto Bitlord,” a digital currency influencer, recorded himself steering a sports car through murky water, saying, “This Lamborghini is swimming, bro.” The cryptocurrency conference he’d been planning to attend was one of two washed out that day. A golfer posted a clip of someone paddleboarding down the fairway at the sprawling Dubai Sports City complex. The total damage across the UAE was estimated at $3 billion. At least four people were killed.