California Storm Plunges Thousands Into Darkness as Bomb Cyclone Hits

A bomb cyclone that has made landfall in California has caused power outages that have affected tens of thousands of households as the governor has declared a state of emergency.

More than 180,000 homes were without power as of 4:24 a.m. local time on Thursday, with many of the cuts concentrated in the northern coastal regions of the state. However, that may change as the brunt of the storm shifts southwards throughout Thursday.

According to data aggregator PowerOutage, the highest proportions of customers without electricity were concentrated in Mendocino county and San Mateo, to the south of San Francisco.

An outage status map by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company shows particular areas of south San Francisco, Monterey and Del Monte Forest to have the highest concentration of power outages, though cuts are also affecting residents across northern and central California.

On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, which he said would "allow the state to respond quickly as the storm develops and support local officials in their ongoing response."

His office advised Californians to find alternate power sources for necessary electric items, ensure they had a phone that did not require mains power, and "have flashlights for every household member".

The bomb cyclone—so named due to a rapid drop in pressure that brings strong winds and heavy rain—currently ripping its way across the Golden State is the latest in a series of storms to batter the West Coast in recent weeks. An unexpected storm on New Year's Eve left at least two dead due to flood waters and falling trees.

Officials are concerned the latest weather front will pose a further threat, with the prospect of more severe flooding, mudslides and falling debris.

One death—that of an infant—has already been linked to the latest storm. Local affiliate KTVU, citing fire department sources, said the child died in a home in Occidental—north of San Francisco—that was hit by a falling tree.

"We anticipate that this may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years," Nancy Ward, the new director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told The Associated Press.

The National Weather Service (NWS) expects the bomb cyclone to bring rainfall of more than an inch per hour on Thursday, causing "localized areas of flash flooding." Wind gusts in excess of 50 mph will increase the risk of trees falling.

The storm has brought rainfall in large quantities as the bomb cyclone combined with an atmospheric river that flows from the subtropics, bringing warm, moist air into California.

Meteorologists expect there to be no let-up in the coming days, with more heavy rain expected to move in on Friday. The NWS said in an update Thursday morning that it expects coastal rain and snow in mountain areas to continue into Saturday morning.