2002 Oman Cyclone

The 2002 Oman cyclone (JTWC designation: 01A, officially known as Cyclonic Storm ARB 01) was an uncommon tropical cyclone that struck the Dhofar region of Oman in May 2002. The first storm in 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 (40 mph), and on May 10 it made landfall near Salalah; shortly thereafter it dissipated. The storm was rare, in that it was one of only eleven tropical cyclones on record to approach the Arabian Peninsula in the month of May.

The storm brought the heaviest rainfall totals 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 (2002 USD, $30 million 2008 USD).