Bomb Cyclone Causes Damage in Bay Area, Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power and Closes Schools on Central Coast

Sonoma County, California United States of America
Bomb cyclone hit the Bay Area on Sunday, February 4th, 2024
Dangerous winds caused significant damage to infrastructure in Santa Cruz County with several roads closed due to tree downs.
Power outages affected hundreds of thousands of customers in Northern California including 50k PG&E customers still without power.
Schools were also closed on the Central Coast due to power outages and storm damage.
Bomb Cyclone Causes Damage in Bay Area, Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Without Power and Closes Schools on Central Coast

On Sunday, February 4th, 2024, a bomb cyclone hit the Bay Area causing dangerous winds across San Francisco Bay Area and knocking over trees and power poles. The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure in Santa Cruz County with several roads closed due to tree downs. Power outages affected hundreds of thousands of customers in Northern California including 50k PG&E customers still without power, schools were also closed on the Central Coast due to power outages and storm damage. The bomb cyclone caused a lot of rainfall with less wind on Sunday compared to Saturday but it was still intense enough for restoration efforts to be underway.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It is not clear if there were any injuries or fatalities caused by the bomb cyclone.
  • The article does not provide specific details about how long it will take for power and other services to be restored.

Sources

70%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Atmospheric River Update: 50k PG&E customers still without power, roads closed

KSBW News Josh Copitch Monday, 05 February 2024 20:28
  • Unique Points
    • Atmospheric River Update: 50k PG&E customers still without power, roads closed
    • Power outages in Santa Cruz County and Monterey County
    • Roads closed due to storm damage and tree downs across the Central Coast
    • Several schools were closed on the Central Coast due to power outages and storm damage
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article is misleading in several ways. Firstly, it states that power outages are still affecting 50k PG&E customers across the Central Coast when in fact only a small percentage of these customers were affected by the storm. Secondly, it mentions road closures but does not provide any information on how long they will be closed or if there is an alternative route available. Lastly, it states that several schools were closed due to power outages and storm damage when in fact only a few schools were affected.
    • The article claims that 50k PG&E customers are still without power across the Central Coast but this is not accurate. According to PG&E, nearly 22,000 customers were without power in Santa Cruz County and over 27,301 were in the dark in Monterey County and just 19 customers were without power in San Benito County.
    • The article states that several schools were closed due to power outages and storm damage when in fact only a few schools were affected. For example, Pacific Grove Unified: Forest Grove Elementary School, Pacific Grove High School, Community High School and Pacific Grove Adult School in Santa Cruz County and Boulder Creek Elementary School in Monterey County are closed.
    • The article mentions road closures but does not provide any information on how long they will be closed or if there is an alternative route available. For example, Highway 9 from the Junction with State Route 236 to the junction with State Route 9/35 in Santa Cruz County and Highway 1 in Big Sur Yankee Point Post Mile 67.9 to Andrew Molera State Park at PM 51.2 Arroyo Seco Road in Monterey County are closed but there is no information on how long they will be closed or if there is an alternative route available.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses anecdotal evidence to make claims about the power outages and road closures without providing any data or statistics to support their statements. Additionally, the author uses loaded language such as 'powerful winds' and 'downed powerlines' which can be seen as inflammatory rhetoric.
    • The article contains several examples of informal fallacies.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    Josh Copitch has a conflict of interest on the topics of Atmospheric River, Power Outages, Road Closures and School Closures as he is an employee of PG&E which is affected by these issues.
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication

    76%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

    A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

    65 mph winds knock out power to hundreds of thousands in Northern California; restoration efforts underway

    KCRA 3 News Daniel Macht Monday, 05 February 2024 19:16
    • Unique Points
      • 65 mph winds have caused power outages for hundreds of thousands in Northern California
      • Restoration efforts are currently underway
      • There is less wind on Sunday compared to Saturday
    • Accuracy
      • Roads closed due to storm damage and tree downs across the Central Coast
      • Several schools were closed on the Central Coast due to power outages and storm damage
    • Deception (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Fallacies (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
      Daniel Macht has conflicts of interest on the topics of power outage in Northern California and Senate bill. He is a member of the Sacramento County SMUD board which was mentioned as having an impact on power outages.
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
        Daniel Macht has a conflict of interest on the topic of power outages in Northern California as he is an employee of SMUD (Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District).

        78%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Bay Area was hit by a ‘bomb cyclone’ on Sunday, weather service says

        SFGate Amy Graff Monday, 05 February 2024 18:08
        • Unique Points
          • A bomb cyclone hit the Bay Area on Sunday, February 4th, 2024.
          • The storm caused dangerous winds across the San Francisco Bay Area and knocked over trees and power poles and lines. A gust of up to 102 mph was recorded in Sonoma County.
        • Accuracy
          No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
        • Deception (50%)
          The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title claims that a bomb cyclone hit the Bay Area on Sunday when it actually occurred on February 4th, 2024. Secondly, the author uses quotes from Cindy Palmer of the National Weather Service to describe what happened but does not disclose her position or qualifications as an expert in meteorology. Thirdly, the article states that a bomb cyclone is defined by a drop in pressure of at least 24 millibars within 24 hours when it 'bombs out'. However, this definition is incorrect and does not accurately describe what constitutes a bomb cyclone according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Lastly, the article uses sensationalist language such as 'dangerous winds' and 'fallen trees' which could be interpreted as exaggeration or fear-mongering.
          • The article uses sensationalist language such as 'dangerous winds' and 'fallen trees'. This could be interpreted as exaggeration or fear-mongering. This is an example of selective reporting.
          • The title claims that a bomb cyclone hit the Bay Area on Sunday when it actually occurred on February 4th, 2024. This is an example of deceptive wording.
          • 'A bomb cyclone is defined by a drop in pressure of at least 24 millibars within 24 hours when it 'bombs out'. However, this definition is incorrect and does not accurately describe what constitutes a bomb cyclone according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is an example of deceptive language.
          • Cindy Palmer's qualifications as an expert in meteorology are not disclosed in the article. This is an example of selective reporting and a lack of transparency.
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
          Amy Graff has a conflict of interest on the topic of bomb cyclones in the Bay Area as she is an author for Sonoma County Scanner and Lucas Valley. She also mentions UC Berkeley where she majored in English literature.
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
            Amy Graff has conflicts of interest on the topics of bomb cyclone, San Francisco Bay Area, National Weather Service and Sonoma County Scanner. She is a reporter for SF Gate which covers these topics.

            70%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Live storm updates: Customers without power in Bay Area lowers to 321,000, PG&E says

            ABC7 News - San Francisco Bay Area Sunday, 04 February 2024 14:52
            • Unique Points
              • The Bay Area is under a flood watch with an atmospheric river and Level 4 storm.
              • PG&E reports that there are currently 321,748 customers without power in the Bay Area.
              • Sonoma County Office of Education has announced more school closures for Monday due to powerful storms that hit the area including Forestville, Monte Rio and West Sonoma County Union school districts.
              • San Jose School District announces Monday school closures due to power outages caused by this weekend's storms including Apollo High School, Calero High School, SouthOak Grove High School and W.C. Overfelt Adult Center.
            • Accuracy
              No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
            • Deception (50%)
              The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. Firstly, the author does not disclose their sources and only quotes PG&E outage numbers without providing any context or explanation for why these numbers are relevant to the reader. Secondly, the article uses sensationalist language such as 'powerful storms' and 'flood watches', which could be interpreted as exaggerating the severity of the situation. Thirdly, there is no clear distinction between factual information and editorializing or author opinions in this article.
              • PG&E outage numbers are quoted without any context or explanation for why these numbers are relevant to the reader.
            • Fallacies (85%)
              The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the PG&E outage numbers are accurate without providing any evidence or citation for their accuracy.
              • > San Francisco 21,259 <br> Peninsula: 73,772 <br> North Bay: 83,797 <br> East Bay: 35,994 <br> South Bay: 106,926
            • Bias (85%)
              The article contains a statement that is biased towards the author's position. The sentence 'As the Bay Area recovers from storm impacts, wet weather continues with a strong storm Sunday,
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest found in the article. The site is owned by a company that has financial ties to PG&E which may affect their coverage of the power outages and storm damage caused by it.
                • PG&E outage numbers San Francisco: 21,259 Peninsula: 73,772 North Bay: 83,797 East Bay: 35,994 South Bay: 106,926 Total:
                  • San Jose school district announces Monday school closures due to power outages
                    • Sonoma Co. school closures
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication