The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a warning to residents as a bomb cyclone approaches California as Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency to prepare for the weather phenomenon.
The system is expected to hit the California coast and could trigger "immediate disruption to commerce, and the worst of all, likely loss of human life." It also follows a round of record-breaking rainfall that poured over the same area during the weekend.
Bomb Cyclone Approaches California
On Wednesday, Newsom issued a statewide emergency declaration, which cleared the way to quickly disseminate aid for the people affected by the winter storms that wreaked havoc on the drought-plagued state.
The state director of emergency services, Nancy Ward, spoke during a news conference where she said that officials anticipate this to be the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years. She warned that if the storm materializes as they expected it to, people would see widespread flooding, mudslides, and power outages in many communities, as per CNN.
On the other hand, a major winter storm that brought snow and freezing rains to the state's colder northern parts and severe storms and tornadoes in its warmer southern parts still threatens more severe weather as it continues to move east.
The latest dangerous storm to target California is the result of a powerful "atmospheric river," which is a long, narrow region in the atmosphere that can carry moisture for several thousands of miles. Northern California and the Bay Area will experience the worst impacts through the day on Wednesday and Thursday with heavy rain and hurricane-force wind gusts.
The storm transitioned into a bomb cyclone on Wednesday after it quickly strengthened while it was still offshore. A bomb cyclone is known as an area of low pressure that intensifies by 24 millibars within 24 hours.
According to Yahoo News, Newsom said that California officials were mobilizing to keep people safe from the potentially devastating impacts of the incoming storm. He said that the emergency announcement will allow the state to quickly respond as the storm continues to develop and it would support local officials in their ongoing response to the weather phenomenon.
Gavin Newsom's State of Emergency Declaration
The new storm also comes after prior weather events have caused rivers to now to be at flood stage. Any additional water and wind are expected to cause chaos across much of California, including the possibility of large-scale power outages.
In a press release, the governor's office warned that people should take inventory of the items they have that rely on electricity. Newsom also urged residents to plan for batteries and other power alternatives to meet their needs if outages do happen.
The governor's state of emergency declaration also supports emergency relief efforts, including the authorization of the mobilization of the California National Guard to support disaster response.
It would also direct Caltrans to request immediate assistance through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program in order to support highway repairs and other needed efforts for local response and recovery, the California Governor's Office reported.