‘Bomb Cyclone’ Kills 2 and Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes Across the Northwest US

‘Bomb Cyclone’ Kills 2 and Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes Across the Northwest US
Officials survey the scene where a tree fell on a home in Issaquah, Wash., on Nov. 19, 2024. Eastside Fire & Rescue via AP
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ISSAQUAH, Wash.—A major storm swept across the northwest U.S., battering the region with strong winds and rain, causing widespread power outages and downing trees that killed at least two people.

The Weather Prediction Center 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 that hit starting Tuesday is considered a “ bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.