Remote sensing imagery assessment of areas severely affected by cyclone Gonu in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Cyclone Gonu, which was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Arabian Peninsula, affected the eastern parts of the Sultanate of Oman on June 4, 2007. The cyclone brought along strong and torrential rains, high waves, and strong winds. Gonu was first observed as an incipient tropical depression in the Indian Ocean on May 27 by weather satellites. Gonu peaked to category 5 on June 6 but was downgraded to category 1 by June 8, 2007. As the storm weakened, it moved through the Arabian Sea and made a landfall in Iran at 0.00 GMT on June 7, 2007. The most seriously affected areas in Oman included Sur, Quriyat, and parts of Muscat Governorate. In the city of Muscat, the torrential rains from Gonu turned wadis and roads to rivers, and low areas to lakes at the scale never recorded in the history of the Sultanate of Oman (Fig. 1). Some of the other major destructions caused by the cyclone in Muscat area included: Damage to desalination plants resulting in water shortages Damage to buildings and other infrastructure Damage to roads and bridges Uprooting of trees Severing of electricity supply and telephone network