
The US was ‘bombed’ by another powerful storm on Wednesday (Nov. 20), as Washington state was battered by a bomb cyclone. The powerful winds left more than 0.6 million customers without power in the northwest US and killed a woman earlier on Tuesday when a tree fell on a makeshift shelter.
CNN reported that two people were injured as a tree fell on their trailer in Maple Valley, southeast of Seattle.
The storm prompted the closure of schools and universities across Washington. The storm also affected areas in Southwest Oregon and Northern California. The bomb cyclonebrought winds of 80 km per hour and gusts around 112 kmph.
Experts are warning that this is just the beginning. Rich Otto, a meteorologist with the NWS Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, said, “The storm is just beginning." "We haven't gotten a ton of rain yet, just 2-3 inches over Southwest Oregon and Northern California," Otto added.
The bomb cyclone is expected to make landfall over Northern California in the next few days. "The biggest surge is Thursday. We're looking at 10-15 inches of rain by Friday, some places, 20-inches," the meteorologist warned.
The US Weather Service has issued warnings and alerts for areas in the Pacific Northwest and from Northern Washington to the Sierra Nevada Range.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-West satellite captured the moments as the cyclone made its way to the American coastline, revealing its comma-shaped structure.
Notably, the term “bomb” refers to a storm that experiences "bombogenesis," a phenomenon where the central pressure drops rapidly, leading to a dramatic boost in the cyclone’s power.
US residents across north-western states have been told to avoid road travel due to heavy rains and winds. The state's Department of Transportation said the traffic was already slowing and warned motorists to be extra cautious.
(With inputs from agencies)