A major storm that swept across the northwestern U.S. has killed two people as it battered the region with strong winds and rain, and caused widespread power outages. The storm system that began on Tuesday is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly (per AP News.)
In Lynnwood, Washington, a woman died Tuesday night when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment; and another woman died Tuesday in Bellevue, Washington, about 20 miles from Lynwood, according to th6e Bellevue Fire Department. More than 100,000 electricity customers in Washington state were reported to be without power Wednesday afternoon on PowerOutage.us. California was also experiencing around 30,000 power outages, according to the tracking site.
The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect. Forecasters said flooding from the storm systems could be life-threatening for parts of the West Coast, and a bomb cyclone warning was also issued for British Columbia in Canada, with forecasters anticipating winds potentially as strong as 120 miles per hour. The advisory Wednesday from the Weather Prediction Center read: “a significant Pacific storm system and strong atmospheric river have already started pummeling the West Coast and Northwest this morning.” The system was churning some 300 miles off the coast of Washington and pushing destructive winds over northern California, Oregon and Washington at the time of the advisory.
Per CBS News, flood and high wind watches were in effect in Northern California, with up to 8 inches of rain predicted for parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, North Coast and Sacramento Valley. A ground delay was issued Wednesday morning for San Francisco International Airport due to wind.
Additionally, up to 16 inches of rain of rain was forecast in southwestern Oregon through Friday, with dangerous flash flooding, rock slides and debris flows possible.
Editorial credit: Manuela Durson / Shutterstock.com