A powerful storm swept through the western United States on Wednesday, leaving two people dead and cutting power to approximately half a million residents.
The storm, which unleashed winds reaching speeds of 145 kilometers per hour, struck the Pacific Northwest late Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The fierce winds disrupted air travel, downed trees, and caused road closures across the region.
In Lynnwood, Washington, a woman in her 50s tragically lost her life when a tree fell on a homeless shelter, according to local fire officials. In another incident east of Seattle, a woman died in Bellevue after a tree collapsed onto her home.
Emergency services urged residents to move to lower floors and away from windows, warning of widespread falling trees damaging homes throughout the area. Authorities also advised people to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.
By Wednesday morning, power outages affected about 500,000 customers in Washington state, as reported by PowerOutage.us, a platform tracking power disruptions.
The storm system is now heading south toward Oregon and Northern California, where authorities are bracing for the potential of heavy rainfall leading to flooding and additional damage from strong winds.
Residents in these areas have been cautioned to prepare for further disruptions as the storm progresses.
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