Deadly bomb cyclone closes its final chapter after ravaging California with life-threatening flooding for days
A powerful and deadly bomb cyclone -- likely the most impactful in years -- slammed into the West Coast. Widespread reports of flooding, washed-out roads, collapsed hillsides, downed trees and power outages plagued California.
Unusual weather pattern to persist out West amid record rain
Relentless rain will continue to soak the West Coast and FOX Weather’s Ian Oliver explains why these parade of storms are uncommon.
SAN FRANCISCO – A powerful and deadly bomb cyclone pounded California with heavy rain and high winds this week and was just one in a series of storms that will impact the West in the coming days.
Drivers barrel into standing water on Interstate 101 in San Francisco, California on January 4, 2023.
(JOSH EDELSON / AFP / Getty Images)
SEE SOME OF THE MOST CATASTROPHIC ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS AND FLOODING IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY
The double whammy of an atmospheric river, nicknamed a Pineapple Express, and bomb cyclone was blamed for at least two deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to firefighters, a child was killed Wednesday inside a home hit by a falling redwood tree in the rural Sonoma County town of Occidental.
In Fairfield, about 65 miles to the east, a 19-year-old woman was killed when her car hydroplaned on a partially flooded road and slammed into a utility pole, according to police.
High winds even toppled a San Francisco gas station roof Wednesday evening, snapping fuel pumps as it came crashing down. No injuries were reported.
A giant tree crashed into an Oakland apartment building Wednesday night, forcing five families to flee during the heavy rains.
"I thought it was an earthquake really," Victoria James told FOX 2 in Oakland. "Everything just rattled and, and then it went black."
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Image 1 of 6San Francisco Department of Public Works employees use chainsaws to cut up a tree that was toppled by high winds on January 05, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan)
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Image 2 of 6A damaged Valero gas station creaks in the wind during a massive "bomb cyclone" rain storm in South San Francisco, California on January 4, 2023. (JOSH EDELSON / AFP)
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Image 3 of 6A pedestrian walks on the street against heavy rain as a bomb cyclone hits California, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain on January 4, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG)
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Image 4 of 6Cars run on the road against heavy rain as a bomb cyclone hits California, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain on January 4, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Liu Guanguan/China News Service/VCG)
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Image 5 of 6People look on as a tow truck pulls a car out of a flooded intersection on January 04, 2023 in Mill Valley, California. (Justin Sullivan)
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Image 6 of 6Los Angeles, CaliforniaJan. 4, 2023Mathew Prado, who works at the Sheraton Hotel at Universal Studio, sweeps water from the front drive. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
DEADLY BOMB CYCLONE WASHES AWAY POPULAR CALIFORNIA BEACH
As residents sheltered under a state of emergency, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his storm response offices were at their highest emergency level. Mandatory evacuations were also ordered for several neighborhoods with a high risk of flooding.
"California just hasn’t been used to this for probably the last 20 to 30 years," said Capt. Keith Wade, of the Sacramento Fire Department.
More than 133,000 customers in California were without power Thursday afternoon, with a majority of the outages reported in Northern and Central California.
"This weather system by itself would present widespread challenges, and we have to factor in that many parts of our service area remain saturated after last weekend's storm," said Angie Gibson, vice president of PG&E's emergency preparedness division. "We encourage customers to prepare for the storm now – have an emergency plan in case you lose power."
BOMB CYCLONE, ‘PINEAPPLE EXPRESS’ TRACKER: LATEST DATA ON STORM'S PATH ACROSS CALIFORNIA
(FOX Weather)
LUCKY DOGS: FIRE CREWS RESCUE 2 PETS FROM SWIFT CREEK DURING CALIFORNIA'S BOMB CYCLONE FLOODING
Relentless rain and wind
Over half the state of California was under a Flood Watch.
The highest rainfall totals reported near the Bay Area within the past three days have been a little more than 5 inches in the mountains southwest of San Jose. The highest 72-hour total in the state comes from Mining Ridge near the Central California coast, where more than 10 inches of rain fell.
The Bay Area National Weather Service said in a tweet that Thursday marked the wettest 10-day period for downtown San Francisco in 151 years.
HIGH WINDS TOPPLE SAN FRANCISCO GAS STATION ROOF DURING BOMB CYCLONE
(FOX Weather)
LISTEN: POWERFUL WINDS FROM BOMB CYCLONE RATTLE WINDOWS OF SAN FRANCISCO SKYSCRAPER
Some areas could see nearly a foot of rain by the time this storm ends, with the highest amounts likely falling in the foothills and mountains.
Flooding and landslides have already been reported in several places across Northern California, prompting officials to close roads. Additional rainfall on the already saturated ground from atmospheric river storms that have been pummeling California since before Christmas will likely lead to additional flooding and landslides.
(FOX Weather)
Aside from heavily saturated grounds, wind gusts were reported at Category 4 strength in Alpine Meadows near the North Lake Tahoe, California area.
(FOX Weather)
The dangerous and terrible trio of rain, wind and surf jeopardized California's famous but vulnerable coastal communities. Elevated surf up to at least 15 feet was forecast for Thursday and Friday for the central coast, with tides up to 6 feet through Sunday.
Parade of storms marches on
This latest storm will eventually push through by late Thursday or early Friday, but there is scant hope for drier weather in California anytime soon.
Another atmospheric river will blast the state this weekend before another powerful one arrives next Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Each new storm will bring a renewed round of dangerous flooding. Over the next week, as much as 20 inches of rain may fall in the northern parts of the state.
(FOX Weather)