Bomb Cyclone Survival: How to Stay Safe During Today’s East Coast Storm

The East Coast is currently weathering a huge snowstorm called a “bomb cyclone.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, NBC News describes it as “a blizzard combined with hurricane-force winds.” If this is your first storm of this intensity, you need to know what kind of damage it can do and how to keep yourself safe and alive.

What Is a Cyclone?

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) explains that “cyclones are large revolving tropical storms caused by winds blowing around a central area of low atmospheric pressure.” The direction the storm revolves in depends on which hemisphere it develops in. These storms will spin clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere. When these storms make landfall, they can cause flooding, property damage, power outages and they can be deadly. If you’re in the path of one, your best bet is often to evacuate.

What Makes a Cyclone a Bomb Cyclone?

A bomb cyclone is the colloquial term for “bombogenesis,” which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines as when a cyclone “rapidly intensifies, or strengthens, over a 24-hour period.” Cyclone intensity is measured in part by pressure; when the pressure drops quickly the storm can rapidly get worse. The threshold for “rapid intensification” varies slightly by latitude, but it decreases as you move north. The NOAA explains that this drop in pressure can happen when “a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean waters.”

How to Weather the Storm

This current bomb cyclone isn’t the first storm to hit the East Coast; this part of the country is no stranger to extreme snowy weather in the winter.  In order to prepare for and stay safe during the storm, you should:

• Have an emergency kit stocked with at least three days’ worth of water and non-perishable food for your family and pets, any prescription medications, a first aid kit, a flashlight and batteries, candles and a lighter or matches, cell phone chargers, a can opener (if you’ve got canned goods on hand), and any extra things to keep you warm like hand warmers, layers, and blankets.
• Get gas for your car and generator before the storm hits.
• Prepare your pipes for the freeze.
• Stay inside as much as possible.
• Wear several layers to stay warm.

Sources

• Cyclones, Australian Institute of Marine Science.
• What is bombogenesis?, National Ocean and Atmospheric Association, March 16, 2024.

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