US West Coast in the grip of Pineapple Express storm

Life has gone haywire in the west coast of the US as the Pineapple Storm strikes the drought parched weest coast region. The Pineapple Express originates in Hawaii and runs to the Pacific coast.
The storm has triggered power outages, flight delays and commuter chaos. Reports indicate suffering of tens of thousands of households with power cuts as uprooted and toppled trees have wreaked traffic gridlock.
Ferry services near San Francisco have been cancelled and flights arriving at the city's main airport were facing delays. Forecasts are that the storm could be one of the strongest in five years, with wind gusts of up to 80mph.
Residents have collected sandbags and crews have cleared storm drains while schools in San Francisco have cancelled classes for the first time since 9/11. The authorities have also issued flood warnings, high surf and wind advisories and have expressed fears that the heavy showers could result in mudslides in the wildfire-scarred foothills across the state.
Of course, the rains will be welcomed by the farmers who have been struggling to keep crops alive in parched fields during successive years of below-normal rainfall.