Hurricane Oscar, now a tropical storm, is the smallest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, with hurricane wind fields only 5-6 miles across. Its small size initially evaded detection by satellites and weather models. Oscar reached Category 1 hurricane status and could have been as strong as a Category 2 or 3. Heavy rainfall from Oscar will lead to flash flooding and mudslides in eastern Cuba, with possible flooding in the southeastern Bahamas. Powerful waves from Oscar could hit East Coast beaches in the U.S. In comparison, prior to Oscar, the smallest Atlantic storm was Tropical Storm Marco in 2008. Oscar formed just after Tropical Storm Nadine, which hit Belize and Mexico over the weekend.
Photo credit
www.usatoday.com
The Deceptive Tactics of Hurricane Oscar: How It Evaded Detection and Confounded Forecasters
