Sunday, a massive mid-latitude cyclone made history by becoming the strongest storm ever in the Pacific Northwest. The low-pressure centre of the cyclone hit a record low of 942.5 millibars and became a “bomb cyclone” in the process by dropping more than 24 millibars in less than 24 hours.
This, only three days after another “bomb cyclone” made history as the third strongest storm on record in the Pacific Northwest.
Thursday’s storm did not make landfall. Monday’s storm will, however, no longer with the strength of a record-breaking ‘bomb cyclone.’
While at its peak strength Sunday, the low-pressure centre, which is the most destructive part of a cyclone, stalled off the coast for several hours. Then, once the cyclone began moving toward the coast once again, the storm started to weaken. Basically, we are really lucky.
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Monday the low-pressure centre will cross north Vancouver Island and move inland at the strength of a very strong pacific fall storm.
Further power outages and downed trees are still expected but not at the destructive level of a record-breaking ‘bomb’ cyclone.’
Wind warnings from Environment Canada are still in effect. The hardest-hit regions will be north Vancouver Island, east Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Southern Gulf Islands.
The Lower Mainland could see 90 km/h gusts near the water or just inland, but 70-80 km/h is more likely. The strongest winds will occur between the late morning hours Monday and the evening.
Although not the destruction that could have occurred, the impact of this unprecedented storm has been significant. A tree fell on a house in Metro Vancouver and narrowly missed a man sitting on his couch. Also, as of 11 a.m. Monday, more than 15,000 were without power and the low-pressure centre has not yet made landfall.
The effects of this storm have been felt all the way down the coast of California with massive flooding and power outages.