Residents of the northwestern regions of the United States and parts of Canada have been dealing with dangerous conditions since Tuesday due to the impact of a powerful storm bomb. The typhoon brings storms and heavy rain and is considered one of the strongest of the year. The latest information about the death of two people.
Life-threatening conditions exist in Washington state, parts of California and Oregon, and British Columbia in southwestern Canada, among others. On Tuesday, a strong storm hit these areas, bringing strong winds and heavy rain and snow. The element formed on the coast of Vancouver, Canada, with wind gusts exceeding 160 km/h.
American media reports about two women who died due to falling trees. The first incident occurred in Bellevue, Washington, and the second occurred near Alderwood Mall Parkway in Lynnwood, Washington. Harborview Medical Center told KOMO News Wednesday morning that at least five people were hospitalized with injuries. One of them was in critical condition.
A powerful element also caused a power outage. Currently, the problem affects more than 300,000 people in Washington State and residents of California and British Columbia.
Stormy winds tore down trees
Residents of the western part of the state of Washington felt the effects of the storm bomb. Despite the power outage, roads were closed. A spokesperson for the city of Seattle spoke of dozens of downed trees disrupting traffic. School classes were canceled on Wednesday due to dangerous weather conditions. Wind gusts exceeded 120 km/h in some places.
“We're seeing significant tree damage, most of the traffic lights are out,” said Mary Lou Pauli, mayor of Issaquah, Washington.
– I didn't even go out. I was afraid I would be hit by flying debris, one resident described in an interview with CNN.
Risk of flooding
American meteorologists emphasize that the threat has not disappeared and the storm may intensify in the coming days. In its latest advisory, the National Weather Service is warning of heavy rain in northern California and southwestern Oregon that could lead to deadly flooding. According to the NWS, some places received up to 400 liters of rain per square meter.
Snow and blizzard conditions are possible in the mountainous regions (Cascade Mountains and extreme northern California), with wind gusts of up to 104 km/h. On Thursday, dangerous storms will develop along the northwest coast of the United States.
What is a cyclone bomb?
Cyclone bombs rapidly develop low pressure systems in which the pressure drops by at least 24 hectopascals per day. This phenomenon is accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds. This year's storm in the northwestern United States is one of the strongest in recent years. American experts say that such a strong storm occurs in this region once in ten years.
According to the forecasts, there will be a heavy wave of rain and snow on the front in the coming days. All thanks to so-called atmospheric rivers, that is, vast wind tunnels that transport large amounts of water vapor from warm ocean waters to the mid-latitude lands of the atmosphere.
Reuters, CNN, NBC News, PAP
Main photo source: Reuters
