A wind-whipped storm tore through Northern California on Wednesday, knocking down trees, snarling highways and transit, and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.
Days’ worth of rain fell on some places in just a few hours.
It was the season’s first major atmospheric river, a type of storm that can deliver prodigious amounts of water in a narrow band from the Pacific Ocean.
“This is a major storm the likes of which we haven’t seen in over a decade,” said Melanie Coon, a spokeswoman for Puget Sound Energy.
Wind gusts in some places exceeded 90 miles per hour — equivalent to the winds of a hurricane.
Persons:
”, Melanie Coon
Organizations:
Puget Sound Energy
Locations:
Northern California, Pacific, Seattle, California, Oregon, San Francisco