A perfect storm is a situation where, by the confluence of specific events, what might have been a minor issue ends up being magnified to proportions that are out of control. In such a situation, it is clear that if one element was removed from the mix, the whole matter would have collapsed, but because just the right things were in the mix, the situation balloons.

Compare with butterfly effect.

See also

• The Perfect Storm, a book (1997) and a feature film based on it (June 2000).