A catastrophic winter storm, fueled by a powerful atmospheric river, has wreaked havoc across the western and central United States, resulting in massive power disruptions affecting approximately 750,000 customers and causing severe flooding that claimed at least one life. The extreme weather system reached its peak intensity with hurricane-force wind gusts recorded at 231 km/h (143 mph) on Mount Coffin, Wyoming, according to recent meteorological data.
The storm’s ferocity was further demonstrated by similarly extreme wind measurements: 228 km/h (142 mph) at Coldwater Ridge in Washington state and 222 km/h (138 mph) at Mount Hood, Oregon. These unprecedented conditions triggered widespread electricity failures, with online outage tracking systems indicating nearly 600,000 customers across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho remained without power as of Thursday.
Washington state emerged as the most severely impacted region, where levee failures and dangerously swollen rivers forced emergency evacuations in multiple communities near Seattle. Tragedy struck in Snohomish, northeast of Seattle, where authorities confirmed one fatality after a man drove past road closure signs into floodwaters and became trapped in his submerged vehicle.
Governor Bob Ferguson characterized the devastation as ‘profound,’ noting that critical infrastructure has suffered extensive damage. A significant portion of US Route 2, a vital east-west transportation artery connecting western Washington cities, has been severely compromised and will require extensive reconstruction efforts, resulting in prolonged closures.
Meteorologists warn that additional atmospheric rivers are approaching the West Coast, with the National Weather Service forecasting a 60-70% probability of above-normal precipitation for California’s San Francisco Bay Area between December 19-25, raising concerns about further flooding potential in the already saturated region.