A severe storm hit the US Northwest, bringing intense winds and rainfall that resulted in extensive power disruptions, school closures and falling trees that claimed two lives.
The Weather Prediction Center issued warnings for excessive rainfall and hurricane-force winds as a strong atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — affected the region. The storm, which began Tuesday, is described as a “bomb cyclone,” a rapidly intensifying cyclone.
The storm with tropical-storm-force winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts around 70 mph knocked out electricity to more than 600,000 homes and businesses in Washington, southwest Oregon and northern California, according to the Poweroutage.us.
Northern California’s flood watch extended to Saturday for regions above San Francisco. Forecasts predicted up to 16 inches (40 cm) of rainfall in northern California and southwestern Oregon through Friday. Officials cautioned about potential flash floods, rock slides, and debris flows.
The northern Sierra Nevada faced a winter storm watch above 3,500 feet (1,066 metres), with potential snowfall of 15 inches (28 cm) over two days. Forecasters indicated mountain areas could experience wind gusts reaching 75 mph (120 kph).
The windstorm and heavy rain also disrupted the power supply in Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia and resulted in power outages affecting approximately 225,000 residents.
The storm, termed a “bomb cyclone” due to its swift intensification, will remain stationary above northern California during the upcoming days, Rich Otto, a meteorologist was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
A bomb cyclone rapidly intensifies in 24 hours or less when a cold air mass from the polar region collides with warm tropical air in a process that meteorologists call bombogenesis.