Deadly bomb cyclone slams Northwest, at least one dead and over 700K without power
A deadly “bomb cyclone” slammed into the Northwest US late Tuesday, killing at least one and leaving more than 700,000 without power as the major storm battered the region with strong winds and heavy rain.
One woman, aged in her 50s, died overnight in Lynnwood, just outside Seattle, when a large tree collapsed onto a homeless encampment, authorities said.
At least two others were injured in a Seattle neighborhood when a tree fell on their trailer – trapping one of them among the mangled debris for several hours until rescue crews could free them.
And a driver was struck by yet another downed tree in northeastern Seattle, officials said.
“Trees are coming down all over the city & falling onto homes,” a fire department in Bellevue, about 10 miles east of Seattle, frantically warned on X. “If you can, go to the lowest floor and stay away from windows. Do not go outside if you can avoid it.”
The warnings came as the effect of the rapidly developing “bomb cyclone” — which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly – started hammering the region with 50-75 mph winds late Tuesday.
Hurricane-force wind warnings were still in effect Wednesday as the strongest atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season battered area.
By early Wednesday, an estimated 700,000 houses across Washington state were reported to be without power, according to poweroutage.us.
More than 15,000 had also lost power in Oregon and nearly 19,000 in California.
The Weather Prediction Center has also issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday.
In northern California, flood and high wind watches were in effect, with up to 8 inches of rain predicted for parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, North Coast and Sacramento Valley.
Dangerous flash flooding, rock slides and debris flows were also forecast for some areas, the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center reported.
Flood watch warnings have also been issued for parts of southwestern Oregon through Friday evening.
Meanwhile, a winter storm watch was issued for the northern Sierra Nevada where 15 inches of snow was possible over two days. Wind gusts could top 75 mph in mountain areas, forecasters said.
And a blizzard warning was issued for the majority of the Cascades in Washington, including Mount Rainier National Park, starting Tuesday afternoon, with up to a foot of snow and wind gusts up to 60 mph expected.
With Post wires
