By The Opinion
Nov 20, 2024, 11:48 PM EST
A storm that was already deadly in Washington state has begun to wreak havoc this Wednesday in California, where Experts have warned of the dangers of possible flooding.
The storm in the northwest of the United States is the result of an atmospheric river – the first of the season – in combination with a bomb cyclone. Hurricane-like winds of up to 90 miles per hour toppled numerous trees in the Seattle area, causing at least two deaths.
In Northern California, the storm caused similar damage with power outages and blocked roads on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) indicated that heavy rain caused by atmospheric river will result in 12 to 16 inches of precipitation in Northern California and southwestern Oregon through Friday. “Dangerous flooding, rock falls and landslides are likely,” the NWS said in its X account.
In the San Francisco Bay area, light to moderate rains were recorded on Wednesday night, but with a warning of possible flooding, not due to the great force of the rain, but due to its possible prolonged duration.
7 PM 📡 Check In: Light to moderate showers continue over the North Bay. Moderate showers are likely to increase in coverage across the North Bay through the remainder of the evening with Flood Advisories remaining in effect. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/b5Y8wDZdXc
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) November 21, 2024
The danger of atmospheric rivers
Atmospheric rivers are long, vast formations of water vapor that in this case form in the Pacific Ocean and carry a lot of humidity. The warmer the conditions along its path, the more vapor is transported. Once that vapor reaches the ground, the vapor cools and condenses, causing heavy rain or snow in higher areas.
The previous two years, California saw high levels of precipitation caused by atmospheric riverswhich helped mitigate a serious and prolonged drought. However, excessive rainfall has become a new concern in several areas of the state. When atmospheric rivers occur one after another, dangers are imminent.
While in northern California, the storm is already having consequences, in the south of the state the first rains of the season are expected starting on Friday and possibly until Wednesday.
The size of the storm that has been hitting the northwest of the country, including California, does not necessarily mean that this season will be above normal for precipitation.
“It could still be a dry season relative to normal, it’s too early to tell,” Roger Gass of the National Weather Service told the Los Angeles Times. “It (the storm) really doesn’t have a long-term indication.”
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