HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA — Heavy downpours fell over much of Northern California on Friday, bringing much-needed relief to the drought-stricken state. However, the storm also caused some damage, including small landslides and flooding in certain areas.
The storm, which arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, has already caused two fatalities and left hundreds of thousands without power in the Seattle area. As it moved through Northern California, it brought strong winds that toppled trees and caused power outages, as well as heavy rain that led to flooding and road closures.
Forecasters had warned about the potential for flash flooding and rock slides in areas north of San Francisco, as this storm was the strongest atmospheric river of the season. An atmospheric river is a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky over land.
On the East Coast, another storm brought much-needed rain to New York and New Jersey, where rare wildfires have been raging in recent weeks. The rain helped to ease the fire danger for the rest of the year and was a welcome boost for ski resorts preparing to open in the coming weeks. Parts of West Virginia were also hit with a blizzard, with up to 61 centimeters of snow and high winds making travel treacherous.
In California’s Humboldt County, evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for those living near the Eel River. However, officials urged residents to remain vigilant and prepare for potential storm impacts throughout the week.
The storm also caused the closure of scenic Highway 1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway, in neighboring Mendocino County. The California Department of Transportation has not yet provided an estimate for when the road will reopen.
Santa Rosa, a city in Sonoma County, saw its wettest three-day period on record with about 32 centimeters of rain, according to the National Weather Service in the Bay Area.
In the community of Fitch Mountain, near Healdsburg, a small mudslide threatened a home. Officials were concerned that the slide could grow and potentially hit several homes downhill. Residents in the area were advised to take precautions and stay alert.
Meanwhile, in Washington state, nearly 127,000 people were still without electricity, mostly in the Seattle area’s King County. Crews were working tirelessly to clear streets of downed lines, branches, and other debris. Utility officials warned that the outages, which began on Tuesday, could last until Saturday.
In Issaquah, a suburban senior center became a refuge for many without power. People flocked to the center to get warm food and charge their cellphones and other devices. One resident, Melissa Tryon, shared her struggles of being without power, including having to throw out all the food in her refrigerator. “Today I kind of had a little bit of a meltdown,” Tryon said. “It’s hard to be cut off for that long.”
Gale warnings were issued off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, while high wind warnings were in effect across parts of Northern California and Oregon. Winter storm warnings were also in place for parts of the California Cascades and the Sierra Nevada.
The National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, reported a 206-kilometers-per-hour (128-miles-per-hour) gust of wind at the top of Palisades Tahoe ski resort, where some runs were open. Gusts up to 138 kph (86 mph) were recorded at Mount Rose, which had to close due to the severe weather.
The storm, which arrived on the West Coast as a “bomb cyclone,” has caused significant damage and disruption. A bomb cyclone occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly, unleashing fierce winds that can topple trees and cause other damage.
However, despite the chaos and destruction, the Northeast welcomed the storm with open arms. The region has been hit hard by drought, and the rain and snow brought much-needed relief. In some areas, more than 5 centimeters (2 inches) of rain was expected, with snow mixed in at higher elevations.
Bryan Greenblatt, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Binghamton, New York, stated that while the storm may not be a “drought buster,” it will definitely help when all the snow and rain melt. In northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Pocono Mountains, heavy snowfall prompted a raft of school closures. Some areas reported
