By Breaking Celebrity News Staff

The show must go on -- even if there’s no in-studio audience!

Both David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon taped new shows Monday despite Hurricane Sandy barreling down on the East Coast -- and they did it with an empty house.

Letterman -- who tapes in the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan -- kicked off his monologue by saying: “We're in the middle of Hurricane Sandy and we have no studio audience, but we do have quite a show for you tonight. Thank you for joining us in the Ed Sullivan Shelter."

Paul Shaffer May Leave Letterman Show When Contract Expires In 2014

The CBS funnyman turned to bandleader Paul Schaffer to explain that Sandy was "one of the worst storms in U.S. history," and that experts were expecting 90 mile-per-hour winds and 12 inches of rain. Landfall was expected in Delaware and New Jersey at high tide, aided by the full moon.

"If I were home, I'd be boarding up your television sets, because this is the stuff that's gonna hurt somebody," Letterman deadpanned.

Among Letterman’s Top 10 Rejected Names for the Storm: Al Frankenstorm, Trumpical Storm, Wetzilla, iPaddle and Oprah Windy.

David Letterman Grabs Justin Bieber’s Arm: ‘No More Tattoos!’

Although he didn’t have an audience, Letterman did have a big-name guest. Oscar winner Denzel Washington showed up in a yellow raincoat. "Only for you, Dave," the Flight star said. "I swam."

Asked if he had ever been in a hurricane before, Washington joked, "Once, with Noah."