Video shows chaos on Delta flight after an emergency landing caused by 'crazy' turbulence as 'atmospheric river storm' batters the Western US

Joe Justice/Scrum Inc/Getty Images/Business Insider

A composite image showing the cabin of a Delta Airlines flight after turbulence caused by the 'atmospheric river' in the Western US and a delta airlines flight.

•  A Delta flight was forced to make an emergency landing as it hit turbulence, hospitalizing three people.
• A passenger on board shared a video of the inside of the cabin, which showed a drinks cart tuned upside down and the aisle filled with snacks and drink cans. 
• He said the plane did "two nose dives" in "crazy turbulence," and thanked the plane's crew.
• The National Weather Center issused a turbulence warning over parts of California and Nevada on Wednesday and Thursday as an "atmospheric river" storm system moves over the West Coast, bringing floods and snow.

A video shows the mess inside of the Delta Airlines flight after it was met with "crazy tubluence"which forced the plane to make an emergency landing and hospitalized three people as an "atmospheric river" brings strong winds, rain, and snow to the Western US.

Joe Justice, a passenger on the plane, shared a short clip of the inside of the cabin, which showed a drinks cart tuned upside down and the aisle filled with snacks and drink cans. One passenger appears to comfort another passenger by reaching their arm across the aisle, while another starts to collect the spilled food into a tray.

Justice tweeted that the plane had done "two nose dives" in "crazy turbulence." But he said that the crew "handled it perfectly."

The flight, destined for Seattle, was forced to divert to Reno, Nevada. Five people on the flight were injured, Reuters reported. Two passengers and one flight attendant were brought to hospital, the news agency said, citing local media.

Read more: Delta has apologised after handing out 'creepy' Diet Coke napkins to passengers encouraging them to give their number to their 'plane crush'

Justice also shared pictures of the inside of the cabin, which show liquids splashed onto the ceiling of the plane.

Joe Justice/Scrum Inc

Photos shared by a passenger on the Delta Airlines flight show belongings and snacks scattered around the cabin and drinks splashed on the ceiling.

Justice offered his "gratitude and professional respect" for the crew, who were from Compass Airlines, which operates flights for Delta on certain routes.

An "atmospheric river" has hit the Western US

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a turbulence warning over parts of California and Nevada on Wednesday and Thursday as an "atmospheric river" storm system moves over the West Coast.

The NWS warned of floods and snow, while forecaster AccuWeather said that the storm "will raise the risk of life-threatening flash flooding, mudslides and avalanches across California" as the state is "bombarded with heavy rain and fluctuating snow levels through Thursday night."

The NWS describes atmospheric rivers as "relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere - like rivers in the sky - that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics."

These rivers release this moisture as rain or snow when they meet the land.

Some areas in Southern California have been mandatory evacuation orders, the Associated Press reported, while people have been warned that they may face power outages and limited public services.

Business Insider has contacted Delta for comment.