Tropical Storm Odette was a rare off-season tropical cyclone that hit the island of Hispaniola in early December 2003. As the fifteenth named storm of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season, Odette formed near the coast of Panama a few days after the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season ended on November 30, and ultimately made landfall on the Dominican Republic as a moderate tropical storm, before becoming extratropical on December 7, dissipating two days later. The storm caused heavy damage throughout the Dominican Republic from unusually heavy rainfall in December. Preparation preceding Odette's landfall resulted in only eight deaths and 14 injuries. Total damage is unknown, though crop damage in the Dominican Republic totaled to over $8 million (2003 USD$, million USD). Meteorological history By November 30, the last day of the Atlantic hurricane season, a stationary front extended across eastern Cuba into the southwestern Caribbean. On December 1, a low-pressure area developed within the frontal zone just north of Panama, and an anticyclone aloft produced good outflow over the low-level center. The low remained nearly stationary for the next several days, and it gradually became separated from the stationary front. Convection increased across the area due to moisture from the eastern Pacific Ocean and moderate divergence. Increased wind shear deteriorated the system on December 2, though convection redeveloped as the system started a northeast drift. On December 3 a mid-level circulation developed about north of the surface center. Convection increased and became better organized as a weak tropical wave reached the area, and it is estimated the system developed into Tropical Depression Twenty at around 1200 UTC on December 4 while located about south of Kingston, Jamaica; initially, the depression was forecast to track north-northeastward and pass over western Haiti. Upon being classified as a tropical cyclone, the depression was embedded within the southwesterly flow between a ridge over the eastern Caribbean Sea and a mid-latitude trough, which caused a steady east-northeast motion. The convection organized into a central dense overcast with a well-defined cloud band wrapping partially around the center, and based on satellite imagery estimates the depression was upgraded to tropical storm status; late on December 4, the National Hurricane Center named the storm Odette. After being named, the storm intensified despite moderate southwesterly wind shear, and an eye feature became evident on microwave satellite imagery. Additionally, about three–fourths of a mid-level eyewall developed. The storm