Bomb cyclone leaves over 500,000 without power in northwest US
A fallen tree sits atop a fire department vehicle after a powerful storm hit the US Pacific Northwest and western Canada, causing power outages in Washington, Oregon, California and British Columbia while wreaking havoc on road travel, in Seattle, Washington on November 20, 2024. Photo REUTERS
A powerful "bomb cyclone" has wreaked havoc across northwestern US states, leaving over 500,000 households without electricity and causing significant damage on Wednesday.
The storm brought intense winds and heavy rain to Washington state, where two fatalities and two injuries have been reported.
Authorities confirmed that one woman lost her life when a tree fell on a homeless encampment in Lynnwood, north of Seattle.
Another woman died when a tree struck her home near Seattle, and two individuals sustained injuries when a tree fell on their trailer in Maple Valley.
Gusts exceeding 60 mph (96 kph) uprooted trees and damaged power lines, leading to widespread outages. Puget Sound Energy reported 314,000 outages, Snohomish PUD 119,000, and Seattle City Light 105,000.
Across Washington, southwest Oregon, and Northern California, over 530,000 homes and businesses were left without power, although this was a reduction from over 600,000 earlier, according to Poweroutage.us.
Neighbouring Canada also faced disruptions, as British Columbia's BC Hydro reported 225,000 power outages on Tuesday night, with about 100,000 customers still without electricity by Wednesday morning, predominantly on Vancouver Island. Images from Seattle showed fallen trees crushing vehicles and damaging homes.
Local authorities urged residents to stay indoors, with fallen trees and power lines posing serious risks. The fire department in Bellevue advised people to seek shelter on lower floors and avoid windows. Emergency services cautioned about the dangers of improper generator use, including carbon monoxide poisoning.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) issued warnings of "life-threatening flooding" for northern California and southwest Oregon, forecasting the storm’s peak intensity on Thursday. Rainfall in some areas could reach up to 20 inches (51 cm) by Friday.
The storm, which intensified rapidly through a process called "bombogenesis," occurs when a cold air mass collides with warm tropical air.
The severe weather also disrupted schools across western Washington, with many cancelling or postponing classes.
Roads were heavily impacted, with authorities warning drivers to exercise caution due to fallen debris and adverse conditions.
This event, characterised by tropical-storm-force winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and gusts up to 70 mph (110 kph), is expected to continue affecting the region, with northern California facing the brunt of the rainfall in the coming days.