Two people were killed near Seattle, and over 700,000 homes and businesses were left without power following back-to-back storms that hit the Pacific Northwest. The storms brought severe weather, falling trees, and downed power lines across western Washington and blanketed much of eastern Washington with snow, freezing rain, and blizzard conditions. The high winds were strong enough to be classified as hurricane-strength in some areas.
One woman died when a tree fell at a homeless encampment in Lynnwood, while another person was killed when a tree crashed into a house in Bellevue. The storms also caused damage to vehicles, public transportation, and property throughout the region. Firefighters had to rescue two people trapped when a tree fell on their trailer.
The National Weather Service station in Seattle was damaged, and over 300,000 electricity customers were still without power by late Wednesday afternoon. The weather service warned of extreme rainfall in California and the threat of flash flooding, rock slides, and debris flows. Additionally, a separate storm was set to develop off the Northwest coast, potentially amplifying the atmospheric river effect.
The storms also impacted parts of Canada, with strong winds recorded on Vancouver Island. Experts have attributed the intensity of the storms to climate change, which can lead to warmer, wetter, and more intense atmospheric river storms that pose greater risks of flooding and damage.
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