A bomb cyclone struck the western US state of California on Wednesday, a day after meteorologists had warned that the area may see “brutal” weather conditions.
The region had already been severely pummeled by a series of New Year’s Eve storms that caused power outages and flooded roads. The cyclone delivered heavy rains that threatened to submerge the area.
The strong gusts, which were blowing at a speed of about 70 kilometers per hour, would very possibly last until Thursday morning.
Residents have been urged by state officials to stay home on Wednesday night and Thursday early as the storm reaches its height.
California issued a state of emergency to mobilize resources for “reaction and recovery activities
The residents, however, remain fearful of the storm. “We had a similar flood just last October… they call it a 100-year storm. But sounds like we might have two of those in one week.” Deepak Srivastava, a San Francisco citizen, was quoted as saying by AFP.
Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, recognized the seriousness of the situation. And, issued a state of emergency to mobilize resources for “reaction and recovery activities.”
San Francisco has also constructed an emergency operations center to manage the entire operation. Thousands of sandbags are being supplied to the locals in case of floods.
“We’ve been working very hard to source sandbags from wherever we can in northern California.” Said a Public Works department official.
What exactly is a bomb cyclone?
When air pressure falls too low levels, a bomb cyclone develops. When a cyclone has a pressure decrease of 24 millibars (a unit of pressure) within 24 hours. It is classified as a bomb cyclone.