On Thursday, San Francisco Bay Area struggled with new problems after a severe winter storm pummeled through Northern California. The once-drought stricken region braced flooding of roads, toppling trees and widespread power outages.
The San Francisco storm is considered as one of the fiercest, windiest and rainiest to pound California and is expected to last through Friday. Based on USA Today report, the National Weather Service said the barrage is expected to be one of the strongest tempests in terms of wind and rain since January 2008 and October 2009.
Throughout the Bay Area, the powerful storm caused waves to slam onto waterfronts while ferries were bound to their docks. Fox News reported several schools cancelled classes and the violent winds had motorists braced their vehicles for possible head-on collisions caused by swerving cars.
Over 80,000 power outages due to a single flooded substation in San Francisco were reported Pacific Gas and Electric. However, blackouts were much more widespread as the storm left 226,800 residents without power.
As the San Francisco storm battered through the region, over 200 flights were cancelled at San Francisco International Airport, where winds were measured at 48 miles per hour on Thursday morning. According to The New York Times, the United States Coast Guard officials issued warnings to residents living near water to take necessary precautions.
In Marin County, north of San Francisco, the California Highway Patrol cautioned motorists to stay off the roads as the winter tempest brought major flash flooding on Interstate 280, which is the main artery between Silicon Valley and San Francisco, the National Weather Service reported.
The San Francisco storm could cause debris slides, particularly in areas stricken by this year's intense and widespread wildfires. The New York Post reported big waves are expected to slam along the coast and ski resorts in the northern Sierra Nevada could get over 2 feet of snow.
Weather forecasters said the storm is expected to later pummel parts of Southern California before a weakening system moves east through Nevada, Idaho, Arizona and New Mexico, where the states could get rain and snow, but not comparable to what California is expected to experience. In Oregon, high winds were also predicted.
The strong San Francisco storm that is forecasted to batter California with pouring rain, heavy snow, pounding surf and howling winds through Friday, is fueled by the "Pineapple Express," which is delivering a steady stream of moisture directly from Hawaii to the West Coast.
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