Bomb Cyclone Knocks out Power of Thousands of People in Central US

A storm system known as “bomb cyclone” is hitting Central US and Upper Midwest, creating hazardous conditions and leaving tens of thousands without power.

The massive blizzard, which has produced more than 18 inches of snow accompanied by strong winds, has made all sorts of transportation dangerous across Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Apart from that, the bomb cyclone also cut the power of several people in the Northern Plains.

As PowerOutage.us reports, around 30,000 homes and businesses in Minnesota are without electricity, while about 18,000 in Iowa, 17,000 in Michigan, and 11,000 in Wisconsin are experiencing the same situation.

Matt Lindstrom, a spokesman for Xcel Energy, said that the main reasons for such power difficulties are the strong winds and the snow and ice accumulating on power lines.

It is the second time in a month that the bomb cyclone has churned through the US interior.

As National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center forecaster David Roth described it, the bomb cyclone is a “weather phenomenon that entails a rapid drop in air pressure and a storm strengthening explosively.”

In their efforts to avoid accidents, transportation officials have closed different roads, including Interstate 29 from east-central South Dakota to the North Dakota Border, a 270-mile section of Interstate 90 between Rapid City and Mitchell, South Dakota, and a 150-mile part of Interstate 76 from northeast Denver to the Nebraska border.

Unfortunately, the Minnesota State Patrol alone has responded to more than 200 crashes since April 10. Apart from that, approximately half of the daily flights at Denver International Airport were canceled on Wednesday, and something similar is expected to happen today.