Hurricane Otto (2010)

Hurricane Otto

Hurricane Otto at peak intensity on October 9
Meteorological history
Formed	October 6, 2010
Extratropical	October 10
Dissipated	October 18, 2010
Category 1 hurricane
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	85 mph (140 km/h)
Lowest pressure	976 mbar (hPa); 28.82 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	None reported
Damage	$22.5 million (2010 USD) (Preliminary estimate)
Areas affected	Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Azores, Canary Islands
IBTrACS
Part of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Otto produced days of torrential rain over much of the northeastern Caribbean in October 2010. Otto originated as a subtropical cyclone lingering north of Puerto Rico on October 6, and transitioned into a tropical storm the next day, the fifteenth of the 2010 hurricane season. Accelerating toward the northeast, Otto strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale on October 8, attaining peak winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). The storm began weakening due to incompatible surroundings and became extratropical west of the Azores on October 10. Otto was the first Atlantic tropical cyclone to transition from a subtropical storm since Tropical Storm Laura in 2008.^[1]

Drifting near the northeastern Caribbean for several days, Otto and its precursor disturbance brought prolonged rainfall to the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, triggering widespread flooding and numerous mudslides. Damage from the storm—in particular to roads, property and infrastructure—exceeded $22.5 million (2010 USD), but there were no fatalities. After recurving toward the northeast, Otto proceeded across the open Atlantic without affecting any other landmasses.