On Sunday, a “bomb cyclone” slammed the Northern California region, claiming lives and knocking down power lines.
In Sacramento, California, the National Weather Service‘s office issued a warning of “potentially historic rain,” noting that Sacramento County might experience up to a third of its average annual rainfall in 24 hours.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist of the Weather Prediction at the National Weather Service, described the storm as a “bomb cyclone,” a powerful low-pressure cyclone that rapidly intensifies when the pressure is low.
The extreme winds that reached above 50 mph have caused power outages in various areas. Approximately 160,000 businesses and residence in California were left without power, over 170,000 in Washington, and over 28,000 in Oregon. According to AccuWeather, the cyclone is expected to pour heavy rain on metro areas on the West Coast, which may cause floods in cities like San Francisco and Sacramento.
In a report by NewsNation, Mount Tamalpais, located north of San Francisco, had accumulated a half-foot of rain in the last 12 hours. Flash floods have blocked streets in Berkeley and submerged the Bay Bridge toll plaza in Oakland. The Eastside Fire and Rescue also reported two people dead after a tree fell on their vehicle due to the strong winds.
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Rocks and vegetation tumbled down the mountainside and across Highway 70 in California (Photo: Noah Berger/AP)
Areas Affected By Burnt Scars
Recent wildfires have damaged vegetation and weakened the soil’s ability to absorb water, exposing the burned area to mudslides and flash floods. The National Weather Service issued a warning for flash floods and river burn scars and urged citizens to avoid the places that pose a hazard. California’s Highway Patrol also closed state Route 70 north of Sacramento after receiving reports of mudslides and debris flows.
Numerous areas in California, including the Santa Cruz Mountains and western Santa Barbara County, have been evacuated due to its proximity to burn scars. Fresno County Sheriff’s Office also posted an evacuation order for some parts of the creek fire. NWS Seattle announced earlier today that winds are expected to develop and will remain gusty through Monday evening.
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