California was drenched by a historic “bomb cyclone” on Sunday. This forced evacuations in areas that were hit by wildfires and brought about stay-at home orders in other parts.
The weather system was stronger than any record since records began. It beat the 1977 record.
A ‘bomb cyclone’ occurs when the barometric pressure drops quickly, falling 24 millibars in 24 hours or less. The standard surface pressure is 1013.2 milibars. A cyclone’s pressure drops faster than a storm, so it is better to have a cyclone. According to the Portland office of National Weather Service, the pressure dropped as low as 942.5mb. This was recorded by a buoy located 300 nautical miles away from Aberdeen, Washington.
As the storm raged, power lines were cut and mudslides activated.
Floriston, in heavy rain, saw a truck collide with a bridge wall. The truck caught fire and forced one lane eastbound on the I-80.
According to Poweroutage.us, more than 168,000 Californians were without power on Sunday. This was in addition to nearly 172,000 people in Washington and more than 33,000 in Oregon.
The worst outages occurred in northern California.
Utility company PG&E said as of 2:15pm PT more than 130,000 customers were without power in the Bay Area, including 50,576 in the North Bay, 43,556 on the Peninsula, 21,773 in the East Bay, 7,523 in the South Bay and 7,234 in San Francisco.
After a landslide on Sunday in the Dixie Fire Zone, rocks and vegetation have covered Highway 70.
On Sunday, large chunks and mountains of rock were washed away in Plumas county.
Matt Martin, Caltrans maintenance manager, walks by a landslide on Highway 70 in Dixie Fire zone.
A sign is posted on Highway 101 in Corte Madera on Sunday. On the west coast, up to 10 inches of rain is expected.
Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center of the National Weather Service, stated that up to 10 inches of rain were expected to wash over the West Coast.
He said, “It’s an atmosphere river already moving through Northern California,” he added.
Weather whiplash is a result of the California’s most active wildfire season and increases the risk of flash flooding.
The U.S. Drought Monitor has classified a large part of the region as in severe, extreme, and exceptional drought.
Chenard explained that the “burn scars” are the areas where water tends not to run off as quickly, so there’s a greater risk of flash flooding.
“Warnings of life-threatening flash flooding around burn scars”
Heavy downpours on Sunday caused by the burn scars from the Dixie Fire/North Complex sparked alarm.
Multiple mudslides were already being reported in several of the 570,000 acres of blackened land by the Dixie Fire in rugged Sierra Nevada mountains northeastern of San Francisco. This was the second-largest wildfire ever recorded in state history.
All three counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and San Mateo issued evacuation instructions.
Marin City rains on Sunday and workers attempt to divert water from drains.
On Sunday, there were many efforts to divert water to drains and prevent flooding from Marin City.
The office of emergency services for Governor Gavin Newsom said that they expect mudslides.
“Resources were deployed to these places as flooding after fire often is more severe, as debris from the fire can create mudflows,” the OES stated in a statement.
‘As rainwater moves across charred ground it can also pick up soil and sediment & carry it in a fast-moving stream of floodwaters.’
Residents of San Mateo County, who were not under evacuation order, were told to stay home.
Officials claimed that they were constantly receiving requests for assistance.
They tweeted that “Our 9-1-1 dispatchers are receiving a large number call during this storm emergency.”
You can help by following the instructions of emergency officials. Stay put if you are able to.
Further north, Sacramento’s National Weather Service office tweeted that they were encouraging people to stay home if they can. If not, be careful and drive safely!
On Sunday, strong winds and high waves were pictured in Depoe Bay (Oregon).
As a bomb cyclone storm system passes over the northwest, heavy waves break against the Oregon coast
On Sunday, water flows down a street in San Rafael, California as the ‘bombcyclone passes overhead.
Workers in the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, push water off the tarp covering the field before an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts
San Francisco was whipped by winds of more than 50 miles per hour.
There were also evacuation centers in Sacramento.
The Sacramento Office of Emergency Service tweeted, “Remember – Never drive through standing water!” Turn around, don’t drown!’
Chenard said that snow was possible at higher elevations.
Chenard said, “It is a pretty impressive storm systems.”
It’s happening right now and will continue throughout the day tomorrow. It will gradually shift southward across Central California tonight & tomorrow.