The powerful and rare bomb cyclone hit the Northwest United States and Canada early on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
According to CNN, the “once in a decade” bomb cyclone claimed the life of at least one person and left hundreds and thousands of people out of power across California, Washington State, and British Columbia.
The South County Fire Department told CNN that a 55-year-old woman lost her life after a large tree fell on a homeless camp around 7 p.m. in Lynnwood, north of Seattle.
Strong winds tumbled trees, and at some places in Seattle and neighboring cities, they fell on the houses, causing danger to human life.
The fire department in Bellevue, east of Seattle, issued a Severe Weather Safety alert on Facebook and wrote, “It’s severe out there. Trees are coming down all over the city, with multiple falling onto homes. If you are able, head to the lowest floor you can and stay away from windows. Do not go outside if you can avoid it.”
Moreover, BC Hydro reported that over 650,000 customers lost power in Washington during the early hours of Wednesday, while more than 140,000 customers in British Columbia and around 24,000 customers in California were without power.
The National Weather Service has reported strong winds across the region, with gusts reaching 101 mph off British Columbia's coast and 72 to 77 mph in Washington state.
