Authorities in Washington state have reported at least two deaths from a bomb cyclone that hit the Pacific Northwest.

In a Facebook post, South County Fire said firefighters responded after a large tree fell on a homeless camp near Alderwood Mall Parkway in Lynnwood on Tuesday evening, Nov. 19.

“Tragically, a woman in her 50s died,” South County Fire said. “There were no other injuries.”

The fire brigade warned the public that strong winds were likely to persist in the morning of Wednesday, November 20, and warned people to avoid roads and downed power lines by staying at least ten meters away.

In an email to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for South County Fire said the fire department had no additional information about the incident or the identity of the victim.

In addition, the Bellevue Fire Department announced in a Facebook post that a tree fell on a home in the Bridal Trails neighborhood on the evening of Nov. 19, killing a woman who was in the shower. The incident was reported to 911 by the woman’s husband.

“Weather conditions were so dangerous in the area that Kirkland Aid Car 126 transported the man away from the home and to safety,” the Bellevue Fire Department said.

PEOPLE contacted Bellevue Fire for comment.

KOMO News reported that at least five people were hospitalized at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle — one of them in critical condition — with injuries from the storm.

The deaths and injuries came after the bomb cyclone hit the Pacific Northwest the day before.

As defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a bomb cyclone occurs “when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, such as air over warm ocean water” – causing strong winds and rain to lash the region and result in power outages and downed trees, CBS News reported.

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Nearly 500,000 people in Washington state are without electricity, PowerOutage.us reported on November 20 at 2:40 pm ET. In Seattle, about 40,000 customers were without power that same afternoon, according to Seattle City Light.

Meanwhile, about 85,000 customers in British Columbia will be without power as of 2:45 p.m. ET on Nov. 20, BC Hydro reported.

The Washington Emergency Management Division said on Nov. 19 that it had seen maximum wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph in some parts of the Pacific Northwest Coast, adding that the South Puget Sound was seeing gusts of 30 to 55 mph and parts of North Puget Sound. gusts of 50 km/hour.

“I didn’t even go outside because I was afraid I was going to get hit by flying debris,” Washington state resident Rob Corcoran, whose home was hit by a falling tree, told CNN. “I had no idea it was as bad as it is.”

According to an update posted on November 20 at 3:00 PM ET, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said that “back-to-back powerful storm systems in the Pacific Ocean are expected to impact the West Coast for the rest of the week.” with heavy rain”. , life-threatening flooding, strong winds and mountain snow at higher altitudes.”