page_title: 2002 Oman cyclone
section_title: Impact
hierarchical_section_title: 2002 Oman cyclone / Impact
caption_attribution_description: Tropical Cyclone 01A was located over southern Oman near 16.5N 53.6E at 06:00 UTC. The storm was moving northwestward at 10 knots with maximum sustained winds estimated at 40 knots, gusts to 50 knots.
context_page_description: The 2002 Oman cyclone tropical cyclone that struck the Dhofar region of Oman in May 2002. The first storm of the 2002 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it developed on May 6 in the Arabian Sea, and it maintained a general west-northwest track for much of its duration. The system reached cyclonic storm status on May 9, meaning it attained winds of greater than 65 km/h, and on May 10 it made landfall near Salalah; shortly thereafter it dissipated. The storm was rare, in the sense that it was one of only twelve tropical cyclones on record to approach the Arabian Peninsula in the month of May.
  The storm brought the heaviest number of people to Dhofar in 30 years, causing flooding and creating rivers in wadis, or typically dry riverbeds. Several people drowned after their vehicles were swept away by the flooding. The storm caused locally heavy damage, totaling $25 million.
context_section_description: Along the coastline, the arrival of the storm resulted in strong waves of up to 4 metres (13 ft). The storm dropped heavy rainfall in the vicinity of its landfall, which were the greatest totals in 30 years in the Dhofar region. The city of Salalah reported 58 mm (2.28 in) in a 24‑hour period as the storm moved ashore, which was more than 300% of its average monthly for May. As a result, some flooding was reported in the city, and several wadis, or typically dry riverbeds, became sudden rivers in the area; one station recorded a discharge of 1146 m³/s (40,470 ft³/s). In Qairoon, precipitation amounted to 251 mm (9.88 in), which was the highest total in Oman. Severe thunderstorms were reported during its passage, with wind gusts peaking at 106 km/h (66 mph). In neighboring Yemen, the city of Al Ghaydah reported light winds of about 45 km/h (30 mph).
  Damage was severe and widespread, estimated at $25 million (2002 USD). Storm impact included property, crop, transportation, and agricultural damage, with hundreds of cattle drowning during the passage of the storm. Across the Dhofar region of Oman, the storm caused several injuries and a total of nine fatalities; most of the deaths were drownings, occurring when their vehicles were swept away by flooding in typically dry areas. Two army soldiers and one police officer drowned while saving other people in danger.
  In the aftermath of the storm, the Omani government received 4,000 requests for assistance, and in turn provided financial aid to 500 families; additionally, the government supplied temporary housing for displaced people.
caption: Satellite image after landfall
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