SAN FRANCISCO – High winds and heavy rain from a bomb cyclone and atmospheric river continue to cause damage in California, including at a San Francisco gas station, where winds blew over an entire structure.
Winds gusts over 35 mph have been blasting the San Francisco Bay Area as the bomb cyclone continues to impact the region Thursday. Farther inland in elevated areas, a gust as strong as 132 mph was reported at Alpine Meadows in the Sierra Nevada.
Video of a Valero gas station at Callan Boulevard and King Drive in South San Francisco showed the gas station’s canopy toppled on its side.
The canopy looks like it was just pushed over by the powerful storm, snapping gas station pumps as it came crashing down. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
This potent atmospheric river, known as a Pineapple Express, continues to wallop California on Thursday, creating hazardous road conditions and widespread power outages and flooding.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR CALIFORNIA’S BOMB CYCLONE, ‘PINEAPPLE EXPRESS’ STORM
Already, 1.44 inches of rain had fallen in San Francisco between Wednesday and Thursday morning. The FOX Forecast Center is tracking up to an additional 2 inches of rain for San Francisco through Thursday night.
More than 100,000 customers were without power as of Thursday morning, according to Pacific Gas and Electricity’s outage map. The power provider said the storm will create “widespread challenges” to restoring power, similar to the New Year’s Eve storm just last week.
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER TURNS DEADLY AS IT SLAMS CALIFORNIA WITH FLOODING, MUDSLIDES
The ongoing storm has been blamed for at least two deaths in the Bay Area. Overnight Wednesday, a redwood tree fell on a Sonoma County home, killing a child, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
In Fairfield, a 19-year-old woman was killed when her car hydroplaned on a partially flooded road and slammed into a utility pole, according to Fairfield Police.
San Francisco first responders and officials are asking people to stay off the roads if possible as crews continue clearing down trees and debris.