The massive “bomb cyclone” produced wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph across western Washington, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. Wind gusts of up to 100 mph were recorded just offshore.
Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were recorded in western Oregon. In northern California, winds reached 80 mph.
Winds remained strong early on Wednesday morning before gradually weakening. However, the weather threat to the region is not over yet, according to CNN.
The storm has combined with an atmospheric jet stream to bring heavy rainfall that has caused flooding, threatening the lives of residents and visitors in some West Coast areas and will continue throughout this week.
More than 290,000 homes and businesses were without power in Washington on the afternoon of November 20, after strong winds damaged the state’s energy infrastructure, according to PowerOutage.us. More than 70,000 people were without power in British Columbia.
Some relief crews in Washington are working to restore power, but they are struggling to reach hard-hit areas due to blocked roads and landslides.
The “bomb cyclone” with high winds devastated the western part of the state, knocking down trees and power lines. The Seattle area was hit hardest. Puget Sound Energy, which provides service to the area, said more than 450,000 customers were without power and that the situation could last for days.
“Things are serious out there. Trees are down all over the city, many on homes,” the fire department in Bellevue, east of Seattle, warned on social media on Nov. 19.
Falling trees killed two women in King and Lynnwood counties, according to CNN.
Southeast of Seattle, two people in Maple Valley were rescued and taken to a nearby hospital after a tree fell on their trailer.
“This is one of the worst wind storms we’ve had in recent years,” Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly said on Nov. 20. “We’re seeing significant damage from downed trees and most of our traffic signals are down.”
An Amtrak train collided with a fallen tree in Stanwood, north of Seattle, on the night of November 19. The incident left the train inoperable, but fortunately none of the 47 passengers on board were injured.
The storm rapidly intensified on the night of November 18 to November 19, creating a phenomenon known as a “bomb cyclone.” Bomb cyclones are terrifying and can bring heavy snow and strong winds in the winter.
The storm was the most intense on record, a storm so powerful it only occurs “about once every decade,” the National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon, said. It was more than twice the strength needed to be classified as a “bomb cyclone” from the night of Nov. 18 to the night of Nov. 19.
The storm created rough seas. Several buoys in the Pacific Ocean, just off the Pacific Northwest coast, recorded wave heights of nearly 10 meters on the night of November 19.
Tourists planning to visit the Pacific Northwest, Washington in the US and British Columbia in Canada should pay attention to weather forecasts and check flight schedules to proactively plan their journey and ensure safety.
