‘Bomb cyclone’ kills 2, knocks out power to over half million across US

A major storm battered the US Northwest with strong winds and rain, causing widespread power outages, closing schools and downing trees that killed at least two people, WAM reports. 

The Weather Prediction Centre issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday, and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect as the strongest atmospheric river — a large plume of moisture — that California and the Pacific Northwest has seen this season overwhelmed the region.

The storm system, which hit starting Tuesday, is considered a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.

In California the weather service extended a flood watch into Saturday for areas north of San Francisco. Up to 16 inches of rain (40 centimetres) was forecast in Northern California and southwestern Oregon through Friday.

Dangerous flash flooding, rock slides and debris flows were possible, officials warned.