Two fatalities were reported near Seattle as severe storms battered the Pacific Northwest, leaving over half a million homes and businesses without power on Wednesday.
This weather system has been labeled a “bomb cyclone” due to its rapid pressure drop and intensification, resulting in fierce winds, rainfall, snowfall, toppled trees, and downed power lines across Western Washington from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, leading to critical injuries.
Travel warnings were issued for residents on Wednesday as heavy snowfall, icy rain, and blizzard-like conditions affected much of Eastern Washington. In southern Oregon, Interstate 5, the primary route south, was shut down all the way to the California border due to the snowstorm, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
A woman in her 50s lost her life when a tree fell on a homeless encampment in Linwood around 7 p.m. PT Tuesday, as per reports from the South County Fire Department, which serves Snohomish County north of Seattle.
Simultaneously, firefighters responded to a call from a resident in Bellevue’s Bridle Trails neighborhood, who reported that a tree had crashed into their home, resulting in the death of his wife.
“The caller was relocated to safety until conditions in his neighborhood improved,” stated the Bellevue Fire Department. “Our hearts go out to the families and communities affected by this tragedy.”
Video footage from Seattle’s NBC affiliate, KING, showed a car that was struck by a fallen tree. A public bus was caught in the incident, but fortunately, there were no passengers injured, and the driver was safe. In certain areas, wind gusts were so powerful they were categorized as hurricane-force.
“Numerous trees and power lines are down. I was planning to share locations, but it’s best to stay home and stay secure!” remarked Snohomish Regional Fire Rescue via social media on Tuesday evening.
“Trees are collapsing and landing on homes throughout the city. If you can, find shelter on the lowest floor away from windows. It’s safest to remain outdoors if possible,” the Bellevue Fire Department alerted on social media platform X.
The National Weather Service’s Seattle office itself sustained damage from the extreme winds.
Over 700,000 homes and businesses across Washington state were reported to be without power, as indicated by the monitoring site poweroutage.us. Though some improvements were seen by late Wednesday afternoon, over 300,000 customers remained without service.
Firefighters from Puget Sound successfully rescued two individuals trapped after a tree fell on their trailer. The Puget Sound Fire Department reported that one person was rescued swiftly, while it took an additional hour to extract the second individual. Both were transported to a medical facility for care.
An atmospheric river has already begun to affect California, where “extraordinary rainfall totals” are expected to continue through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Northern California’s coastal and mountain areas are projected to receive significant rainfall between 10 to 15 inches, presenting “potentially life-threatening” risks of flash flooding, rockslides, and debris flows, officials warned.
Adding to the trouble, another storm is anticipated to form and quickly gain intensity off the northwest coast on Friday, heightening the effects of the atmospheric river.
The repercussions were already being felt on Wednesday, with reports of power outages in Northern California near the Oregon border, mandatory chains on Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada, and parts of Interstate 5 closed due to snow. Upon reopening, traffic will still face restrictions.
The frontal boundary of the atmospheric river was reported to be “nearly stalled” in the North Bay area of San Francisco on Wednesday evening, with heavy rains expected to persist until Friday, as noted by the region’s National Weather Service.
By Wednesday evening, over 3 inches of rain fell in some areas of Marin County within a single day, with at least one location in Napa County receiving over 5 inches, according to the agency.
Our neighbors to the north, Canada, are also experiencing severe winds, with gusts of up to 161 miles per hour measured on Vancouver Island Tuesday night, comparable to a Category 2 hurricane.
Experts caution that climate change is intensifying atmospheric conditions. Warmer air can retain more moisture, raising the likelihood of heavier, more intense storms, amplifying flooding risks and escalating costs.
