This week in severe weather: Typhoon, nor'easter, and a 'hellastorm'

It was a wild week for weather events in the U.S. and in other parts of the globe, starting with a "super typhoon," followed by a "nor'easter," and capping off with a "hellastorm."

For the past two days, torrential rains have been falling from western Washington to drought-stricken northern California, causing flash floods, mud and rock slides. Dubbed the #hellastorm on Twitter, the rains are continuing today, causing flight delays and school closures. According to the National Weather Service, a daily rainfall record was set yesterday at San Francisco International Airport with 3.43 inches, breaking an old mark set in 1995.

The Sierra Nevada was also faced with a blizzard warning, with winds from 25 to 50 mph expected. Portland and Seattle and parts of California were also under high wind warnings, with winds over 50 mph causing damage to structures and knocking down trees and disrupting power lines.

In the middle of the week, residents of the East Coast dealt with high winds and more than a foot of snow in some areas from Pennsylvania to Maine. The nor'easter knocked out power to more than 30,000 residents and parts of I-81 were closed due to snow and multiple accidents. Top snow falls included 20 inches in Jamesville, N.Y.; 19.8 in Erieville, N.Y.; and 19 in Killington, Vt. Wind gusts ranged from a high of 85 mph in Mount Washington, N.H., to 48 mph around Boston/Logan airport.

Early in the week, the Philippines braced for Typhoon Hagupit, which was expected to cause as much damage as last year's Typhoon Haiyan. At least 21 people were killed as a result of the storm, but it could have been a lot worse. Last year, Haiyan killed 6,200 people.

More than 30 power lines and transformers were damaged in eastern Visayas and southern Luzon, causing power failures. Roofs were blown off bunkhouses in Tacloban city, and nearly 500 homes were destroyed and nearly 1,000 damaged, mostly in Samar.

Click through to see pictures of this week's severe weather events.

In this Dec. 7 photo, strong waves crash into coastal houses as Typhoon Hagupit pounds Legazpi, located in Albay province in eastern Philippines. Typhoon Hagupit knocked out power in entire coastal provinces, mowed down trees and sent more than 650,000 people into shelters before it weakened Sunday, sparing the central Philippines a repetition of unprecedented devastation by last year's storm.

(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Waves splash against a seawall and onto houses along the Atlantic coast on Dec. 9 in Scituate, Mass. The National Weather Service posted a flood watch for urban and poor drainage areas, and a coastal flood advisory for the midday high tide cycle.

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Strong winds are no match for the umbrellas people are carrying as they wait to cross a street along 34th Street near Fifth Ave. in New York on Dec. 9. The Northeast was battered by a nor'easter that caused powerful winds and heavy rains in the city and heavy snowfall in New York state.

(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

A horse and driver take a lap on a snowy morning during training on the harness track at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Dec. 11 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Residents in a wide swath of upstate New York are digging out from under up to 2 feet of snow dumped by a lingering nor'easter.

(AP Photo/Mike Groll)

An official photographs damage to an apartment building after a portion of its outer wall collapsed in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 11. Officials say the collapse was likely due to high winds.

(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

A toppled tree nearly hits a prominent statue in front of the Saint Theresa Catholic Church in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. on Dec. 11. High winds ahead of a powerful Pacific storm swept through South Lake Tahoe. Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Eric Guevin said the church was damaged, but no one was injured.

(AP Photo/Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, Capt. Chris Lucas)

A resident cleans snow from his vehicle after several inches fell in Soda Springs, Calif. on Dec. 11. Snow from a severe storm that swept through Northern California fell in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada forcing drivers without four-wheel drive vehicles to put on chains before crossing over Donner Summit.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

 

Water covers one of several vehicles stranded in an Ashby Ave. tunnel in Berkeley, Calif. on Dec. 11. A powerful storm churned through Northern California Thursday, knocking out power to tens of thousands and delaying commuters while soaking the region with much-needed rain.

(AP Photo/Noah Berger)