the deep-layered flow to its southwest. Racing northeastward, the hurricane entered an area of progressively cooler waters and adverse upper atmospheric conditions, which eroded its cloud pattern and disrupted the circulation. With maximum winds dropping below 70 mph (110 km/h), Otto was reduced to a tropical storm late on October 9. Convective activity came to a near halt due to relentless wind shear and a lack of tropical moisture, leading specialists to conclude the storm was entering an extratropical transition. The next day, the cool dry air infiltrated the weak warm core, and Otto began to develop frontal banding features. With these characteristics, Otto became an extratropical cyclone on October 10, and the NHC discontinued advisories on the storm. The post-tropical cyclone decelerated near the Azores over the next week, where it eventually degenerated into a remnant low that recurved sharply southeastward, before completely dissipating west of Morocco on October 18. Preparations and impact Otto and its precursor disturbance produced days of prolonged rainfall and gusty winds across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Localized flooding and rough sea conditions caused extensive road damage, infrastructure failures, and some beach erosion along coastlines. During the passage of the storm, numerous residents were left without water and power, and a state of emergency was declared for several Caribbean nations. Schools, businesses and some government offices across all of the Virgin Islands and Saint Kitts and Nevis were closed until storm conditions abated. The weather system ultimately accounted for substantial monetary losses throughout these areas, pinned at over $22.5 million (2010 USD). In addition, Otto was widely regarded as one of the wettest storms in the history of the northeastern Caribbean, repeatedly shattering various rainfall records. Leeward Islands In Saint Lucia, downpours triggered torrential flooding along the island's easternmost coast from October 5 through October 6. In Dennery Quarter, flash floods affected about 500 households; among them, 400 had their houses flooded or severely damaged. Several residences had to be evacuated, and some people were trapped in their homes. Residents also suffered from the absence of drinking water, lack of electricity, and the inability to prepare meals due to the loss of kitchen equipment and other utensils. In response, the area was declared a disaster zone; a total of EC$500,000 ($185,185 USD) was approved to assist flood victims, as well as an additional US$44,194 allocated from the Disaster Relief