3. Cyclone Emergency Declared Across Three States—Stay Prepared

   

A storm that has never been seen before is expected to hit the West Coast and wreck the seas along its path. As the storm quickly gets stronger, the National Weather Service has sent out urgent warnings about rising waves and strong gusts.

A big bomb cyclone is forming off the coast of the West shore right now. This bomb cyclone could bring strong winds, a lot of snow, and heavy rain over the course of the week. Meteorologists have sent out an alert because the storm is getting stronger very quickly. This is called bombogenesis.

 

Pressure in the storm will drop by at least twenty to twenty-four millibars by Tuesday afternoon, November 19. This will happen over twenty to twenty-four hours. Because the storm is getting stronger so quickly, it looks like it will be very bad, with effects that are worse than usual for storms.

After the bomb cyclone hits, its atmospheric river will stay for a long time, bringing heavy rain and snow to some parts of Oregon and Northern California. The mountains are going to get a foot of snow and a lot of heavy rain.

People walking in a flooded area posted on November 18, 2024 | Source: YouTube/@mirrornow

It is expected that the worst effects of the storm will be seen from Tuesday through Friday, and they might even last into Saturday. Because of how strong the typhoon is, people who live in these places have been told to get ready for tough times.

Some places could get anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of rain, and some could even get up to 15 inches. Northern California and Southwest Oregon are expected to get the most rain. The biggest amounts of rain—between one and five inches—are expected to fall in Western Oregon and Washington, near the coast and in the foothills.

In places that don’t have enough drainage, rain or snow could cause flooding, and rivers and their branches could overflow their intended capacity. It’s still a bad idea to go near places that were just damaged by flames because they might slide down. There is also a chance of running into rock falls on mountain roads.

For those in the higher regions of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains, the storm is expected to bring several feet of snow. During the week, the snow level will keep going up, which could make driving more difficult, especially on mountain roads. Siskiyou Pass, which is on Interstate 5 and runs along the border between Oregon and California, and Snoqualmie Pass, which is on Interstate 90 in Washington, will be hit the hardest.

Heavy Snow fall posted on November 18, 2024 | Source: YouTube/@mirrornow

Northern California, Oregon, and Washington will have wind gusts of more than sixty to seventy miles per hour from late Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning. These are the most powerful winds.

Stronger breezes will also affect places in the middle of the state, like the Cascades and the mountains. Along with trees on the ground, there is a chance that the power will go out. It will still be windy for the rest of the week, even after the worst winds have passed.

Harsh weather conditions posted on November 18, 2024 | Source: YouTube/@mirrornow

The National Weather Service has sent out very serious alerts and advisories because of the strong bomb cyclone that is moving toward the area. Strong winds, heavy rain, and snow are all things that the storm is expected to bring. This will make conditions dangerous all over the region.

This small craft warning will stay in place until 9:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday. The southwest winds could reach 10 to 20 knots, and gusts as high as 30 knots. The waves could be 13 to 14 feet high. The mariners have been told about these possible wind speeds and waves. Seafarers are strongly encouraged to either stay in port or take extra care to protect their boats in case of very bad weather.

The storm warning is in place from Wednesday at 3 a.m. Pacific Standard Time until Tuesday. Along the coast, the storm is likely to bring dangerous south winds of 30 to 50 mph, with gusts of up to 70 knots.

The waves will get rough and the vision will drop to 21 to 26 feet, which is very dangerous for boats. It will be much harder to see. To lower their chances of losing someone in an accident, sailors should be ready to secure their ships or change their path.

Up until Tuesday morning Pacific Standard Time, the dangerous waves warning will still be in shape. There will be 15 mph gusts from the southwest, and the waves will be very steep and dangerous, moving back and forth between 13 and 17 feet every 14 seconds.

The storm should get even worse between 10 a.m. on Tuesday and 4 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, with gusts of up to 60 knots and waves of 21 to 26 feet. It is strongly suggested that sailors either stay in town or look for a safe place to stay to get ready for these tough conditions.

Illustration of a Bomb Cyclone

Meanwhile, people on pleasure boats are told not to go out to sea, while business boats need to prepare for rough seas and especially strong winds. While you wait for things to get better, you should stay in town.

A bomb cyclone is an extratropical storm that gets stronger very quickly. It is also called rapid cyclogenesis. The name “bomb cyclone” is sometimes used for these storms. This event starts when the storm’s center’s pressure drops by at least one hPa every hour for twenty-four hours, causing a sudden and extreme drop in pressure.

It usually happens about 750 kilometers downstream from a moving 500-hPa trough. This event happens most often during the cold season. The system it helps build is not only strong, but also dangerous, and it has a big effect on the sea.

As the bomb cyclone gets stronger, West Coast sailors should move quickly to protect themselves, their property, and even their lives.