diff --git a/stormevents/stormevent.py b/stormevents/stormevent.py
index 2e90b54..d732aae 100644
--- a/stormevents/stormevent.py
+++ b/stormevents/stormevent.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import pandas
 import xarray
+from pandas import Series
 from shapely import ops
 from shapely.geometry import MultiPolygon
 from shapely.geometry import Polygon
@@ -49,12 +50,15 @@ def __init__(
         year: int,
         start_date: datetime = None,
         end_date: datetime = None,
+        synthetic: bool = False,
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         :param name: storm name
         :param year: storm year
         :param start_date: starting time
         :param end_date: ending time
+        :param synthetic: whether the storm actually exists; `True` will skip lookup in the storm table
 
         >>> StormEvent('florence', 2018)
         StormEvent(name='FLORENCE', year=2018, start_date=Timestamp('2018-08-30 06:00:00'), end_date=Timestamp('2018-09-18 12:00:00'))
@@ -72,17 +76,30 @@ def __init__(
         StormEvent(name='IDA', year=2021, start_date=Timestamp('2021-08-27 18:00:00'), end_date=Timestamp('2021-08-29 18:00:00'))
         """
 
-        storms = nhc_storms(year=year)
-        storms = storms[storms["name"].str.contains(name.upper())]
-        if len(storms) > 0:
-            self.__entry = storms.iloc[0]
+        if not synthetic:
+            storms = nhc_storms(year=year)
+            storms = storms[storms["name"].str.contains(name.upper())]
+            if len(storms) > 0:
+                self.__entry = storms.iloc[0]
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f'storm "{name} {year}" not found in NHC database')
         else:
-            raise ValueError(f'storm "{name} {year}" not found in NHC database')
+            self.__entry = Series(
+                {
+                    "name": name,
+                    "year": year,
+                    "start_date": start_date,
+                    "end_date": end_date,
+                    **kwargs,
+                },
+                index=None,
+            )
 
         self.__usgs_id = None
         self.__is_usgs_flood_event = True
         self.__high_water_marks = None
         self.__previous_configuration = {"name": self.name, "year": self.year}
+        self.__synthetic = synthetic
 
         self.start_date = start_date
         self.end_date = end_date
@@ -268,6 +285,10 @@ def status(self) -> StormStatus:
         else:
             return StormStatus.HISTORICAL
 
+    @property
+    def synthetic(self) -> bool:
+        return self.__synthetic
+
     def track(
         self,
         start_date: datetime = None,
@@ -514,3 +535,49 @@ def __repr__(self) -> str:
             f"end_date={repr(self.end_date)}"
             f")"
         )
+
+    def __copy__(self) -> "StormEvent":
+        return self.__class__(
+            self.name,
+            year=self.year,
+            start_date=self.start_date,
+            end_date=self.end_date,
+        )
+
+    def perturb(
+        self,
+        name: str = None,
+        year: int = None,
+        start_date: datetime = None,
+        end_date: datetime = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> "StormEvent":
+        """
+        :param name: storm name
+        :param year: storm year
+        :param start_date: starting time
+        :param end_date: ending time
+        :return: a new synthetic storm based on parameters from the current storm
+        """
+
+        if name is None:
+            name = self.name
+        if year is None:
+            year = self.year
+        if start_date is None:
+            start_date = self.start_date
+        elif isinstance(start_date, timedelta):
+            start_date = self.start_date + start_date
+        if end_date is None:
+            end_date = self.end_date
+        elif isinstance(end_date, timedelta):
+            end_date = self.end_date + end_date
+
+        return self.__class__(
+            name=name,
+            year=year,
+            start_date=start_date,
+            end_date=end_date,
+            synthetic=True,
+            **kwargs,
+        )
diff --git a/tests/test_stormevent.py b/tests/test_stormevent.py
index 0f83cbd..17a0cc6 100644
--- a/tests/test_stormevent.py
+++ b/tests/test_stormevent.py
@@ -82,6 +82,38 @@ def test_storm_event_lookup():
     assert ida2021.end_date == datetime(2021, 9, 4, 18)
 
 
+def test_synthetic_stormevent(florence2018):
+    synth_1 = StormEvent("synth_1", year=2018, synthetic=True)
+    synth_2 = StormEvent(
+        "synth_2",
+        start_date=datetime(2019, 10, 2),
+        end_date=datetime(2019, 10, 10),
+        year=2019,
+        synthetic=True,
+    )
+    synth_florence = florence2018.perturb(name="synth_florence")
+
+    assert synth_1.name == "synth_1"
+    assert synth_1.year == 2018
+    assert synth_1.nhc_code is None
+    assert synth_1.start_date is None
+    assert synth_1.end_date is None
+    assert synth_1.synthetic
+
+    assert synth_2.name == "synth_2"
+    assert synth_2.year == 2019
+    assert synth_2.nhc_code is None
+    assert synth_2.start_date == datetime(2019, 10, 2)
+    assert synth_2.end_date == datetime(2019, 10, 10)
+    assert synth_2.synthetic
+
+    assert synth_florence.name == "synth_florence"
+    assert synth_florence.year == 2018
+    assert synth_florence.start_date == florence2018.start_date
+    assert synth_florence.end_date == florence2018.end_date
+    assert synth_florence.synthetic
+
+
 def test_storm_event_time_interval():
     florence2018 = StormEvent("florence", 2018, start_date=timedelta(days=-2))
     paine2016 = StormEvent.from_nhc_code("EP172016", end_date=timedelta(days=1))