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Hurricane Marco (1996)
Encyclopedia
Hurricane Marco was a Category 1 hurricane which caused flooding and mudslides in parts of the Caribbean. The 13th named storm of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season
, Marco developed in the southwestern Caribbean between Jamaica and Honduras on November 16. It attained tropical storm strength on November 19 while slowly tracking south. Marco then turned to the east and briefly became a minimal hurricane on November 20. The storm turned to the northeast, and on November 23 it weakened rapidly to a tropical depression while located southeast of Jamaica
. The depression tracked westward and re-strengthened into a tropical storm on November 24. Marco again weakened and degenerated into a remnant low pressure area by November 26.
Although Hurricane Marco never made landfall, it was a large storm, and it caused heavy rainfall in Central America and Hispaniola
. Flooding and mudslides caused by the rain were responsible for 14 reported deaths. The amount of property damage caused by the hurricane is unknown.
moved into the northwest Caribbean Sea on November 9, before an abnormally strong high pressure system entered in that vicinity. The front became nearly stationary, and interacted with several tropical waves over the next week. In the southwest Caribbean Sea, part of an area known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone
became active, as monsoonal southwesterly flow fed into the system from the eastern Pacific Ocean. On November 13, surface weather analysis
indicated a weak low pressure area had developed north of Colombia
. Despite a well-defined low-level circulation, the system did not meet the criteria for a tropical cyclone because convective activity was not organized or concentrated within the vicinity of the center. Several small, weak centers of low pressure formed in the general area, and the entire system drifted northward for a couple days. In combination with a high pressure area
over the United States, the system produced gale-force winds on Florida
, Cuba
, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico
.
Convection gradually developed over the broad low pressure area, and post-storm analysis indicated a tropical depression had formed at 1800 UTC on November 16. The depression tracked generally southward, soon encountering a more favorable environment for tropical cyclone development. Although environmental conditions were favorable for intensification, the depression initially failed to strengthen further. However, the depression later developed significant amounts of deep convection, and had been upgraded to a tropical storm on November 19, which the National Hurricane Center named Marco. After intensifying into a tropical storm, Marco then headed slowly east-northeastward, shortly before strengthening into a hurricane on November 20. Simultaneous to the upgrade, Hurricane Marco attained its peak intensity, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 983 mbar (hPa; 29.03 inHg).
Shortly thereafter, Marco moved into a less favorable environment characterized by strong upper-level westerly winds, and quickly weakened back to a tropical storm after being a hurricane for only twelve hours. Although Marco was in a less favorable environment, the storm re-strengthened slightly, and nearly re-gained hurricane status on November 22, with winds remaining at 70 mph (110 km/h). After re-intensifying slightly, Marco subsequently weakened rapidly to a tropical depression at 1800 UTC on November 23 to the south of Jamaica
. A mid-level ridge rebuilt over the Bahamas and Florida, forcing Tropical Depression Marco westward, and then to the northwest. Re-organization occurred, and the cyclone re-intensified into a tropical storm on November 24. Tropical Storm Marco reached a third peak intensity with winds at 60 mph (100 km/h) on November 25 at 1200 UTC, before weakening occurred again. The storm maintained tropical storm status until 1200 UTC on November 26, when it weakened to a tropical depression once again. Marco degenerated into a remnant low pressure system, and the remnants tracked over western Cuba
. At 1600 UTC on November 26, the remnants of Marco had completely dissipated.
was posted on November 20, and sailors were advised to remain at port. A hurricane watch was issued for Cuba
, Haiti
and east of Camagüey
on that same day; it was later downgraded to a tropical storm watch. In addition, a tropical storm warning was issued on November 25 for the Isle of Youth
and Pinar del Río, Cuba. All watches and warnings were discontinued by November 26. In Jamaica, disaster committees cautioned residents to stock up on supplies such as batteries and canned food.
and Hispaniola
.
Flooding and mudslides caused by the rain were responsible for 14 reported fatalities in total throughout the Caribbean. Nine of those deaths alone occurred in Honduras
. Three deaths were also reported in the Dominican Republic
, which were caused by drownings to the north of Santo Domingo
.
In Jamaica
, Marco's rainfall added to the previously heavy rain which caused a total of $3 million (1996 USD) in damage to roads, and left 170 families without shelter. During the formative stage of Marco, a high pressure area combined with the low pressure of Marco resulted in a tight pressure gradient which led to beach erosion and gale force winds on the Florida
coast. In Costa Rica
, swollen rivers flooded several towns and numerous banana plantations. Parts of Honduras's Atlantic Coast were devastated by large amounts of rain, forcing 60,000 people from their homes. In addition, four thousand homes were destroyed, and 40 wooden bridges were washed away.
Marco was known for being a hurricane to enter the Caribbean and not make landfall, a rare occurrence. Also, hurricane hunter flights recorded volatile center structure with severe turbulence
, extreme rainfall and hail
during a flight into the storm. Since Marco was not retired it was used again in 2008
and will be used again in 2014.
1996 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1996 Atlantic hurricane season was the first season since 1965 in which all tropical cyclones reached tropical storm status. It officially began on June 1, 1996, and lasted until November 30, 1996...
, Marco developed in the southwestern Caribbean between Jamaica and Honduras on November 16. It attained tropical storm strength on November 19 while slowly tracking south. Marco then turned to the east and briefly became a minimal hurricane on November 20. The storm turned to the northeast, and on November 23 it weakened rapidly to a tropical depression while located southeast of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The depression tracked westward and re-strengthened into a tropical storm on November 24. Marco again weakened and degenerated into a remnant low pressure area by November 26.
Although Hurricane Marco never made landfall, it was a large storm, and it caused heavy rainfall in Central America and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
. Flooding and mudslides caused by the rain were responsible for 14 reported deaths. The amount of property damage caused by the hurricane is unknown.
Meteorological history
A cold frontCold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
moved into the northwest Caribbean Sea on November 9, before an abnormally strong high pressure system entered in that vicinity. The front became nearly stationary, and interacted with several tropical waves over the next week. In the southwest Caribbean Sea, part of an area known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone
Intertropical Convergence Zone
The Intertropical Convergence Zone , known by sailors as The Doldrums, is the area encircling the earth near the equator where winds originating in the northern and southern hemispheres come together....
became active, as monsoonal southwesterly flow fed into the system from the eastern Pacific Ocean. On November 13, surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis
Surface weather analysis is a special type of weather map that provides a view of weather elements over a geographical area at a specified time based on information from ground-based weather stations...
indicated a weak low pressure area had developed north of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Despite a well-defined low-level circulation, the system did not meet the criteria for a tropical cyclone because convective activity was not organized or concentrated within the vicinity of the center. Several small, weak centers of low pressure formed in the general area, and the entire system drifted northward for a couple days. In combination with a high pressure area
High pressure area
A high-pressure area is a region where the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the planet is greater than its surrounding environment. Winds within high-pressure areas flow outward due to the higher density air near their center and friction with land...
over the United States, the system produced gale-force winds on Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Convection gradually developed over the broad low pressure area, and post-storm analysis indicated a tropical depression had formed at 1800 UTC on November 16. The depression tracked generally southward, soon encountering a more favorable environment for tropical cyclone development. Although environmental conditions were favorable for intensification, the depression initially failed to strengthen further. However, the depression later developed significant amounts of deep convection, and had been upgraded to a tropical storm on November 19, which the National Hurricane Center named Marco. After intensifying into a tropical storm, Marco then headed slowly east-northeastward, shortly before strengthening into a hurricane on November 20. Simultaneous to the upgrade, Hurricane Marco attained its peak intensity, with winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 983 mbar (hPa; 29.03 inHg).
Shortly thereafter, Marco moved into a less favorable environment characterized by strong upper-level westerly winds, and quickly weakened back to a tropical storm after being a hurricane for only twelve hours. Although Marco was in a less favorable environment, the storm re-strengthened slightly, and nearly re-gained hurricane status on November 22, with winds remaining at 70 mph (110 km/h). After re-intensifying slightly, Marco subsequently weakened rapidly to a tropical depression at 1800 UTC on November 23 to the south of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. A mid-level ridge rebuilt over the Bahamas and Florida, forcing Tropical Depression Marco westward, and then to the northwest. Re-organization occurred, and the cyclone re-intensified into a tropical storm on November 24. Tropical Storm Marco reached a third peak intensity with winds at 60 mph (100 km/h) on November 25 at 1200 UTC, before weakening occurred again. The storm maintained tropical storm status until 1200 UTC on November 26, when it weakened to a tropical depression once again. Marco degenerated into a remnant low pressure system, and the remnants tracked over western Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. At 1600 UTC on November 26, the remnants of Marco had completely dissipated.
Preparations
On November 19, a tropical storm watch was issued for Jamaica, which was upgraded to a hurricane watch the next day. A flash flood warningFlash Flood Warning
A Flash Flood Warning is issued when a flash flood is imminent or occurring in the warned area. A flash flood is a sudden, violent flood after a heavy rain...
was posted on November 20, and sailors were advised to remain at port. A hurricane watch was issued for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and east of Camagüey
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
on that same day; it was later downgraded to a tropical storm watch. In addition, a tropical storm warning was issued on November 25 for the Isle of Youth
Isle of Youth
Isla de la Juventud is the second-largest Cuban island and the seventh-largest island in the West Indies . The island has an area and is 100 km south of the island of Cuba, across the Gulf of Batabanó...
and Pinar del Río, Cuba. All watches and warnings were discontinued by November 26. In Jamaica, disaster committees cautioned residents to stock up on supplies such as batteries and canned food.
Impact and naming
Although Hurricane Marco never made landfall, it was a large storm and as a result, it caused heavy rainfall throughout Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
.
Flooding and mudslides caused by the rain were responsible for 14 reported fatalities in total throughout the Caribbean. Nine of those deaths alone occurred in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
. Three deaths were also reported in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, which were caused by drownings to the north of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
In Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Marco's rainfall added to the previously heavy rain which caused a total of $3 million (1996 USD) in damage to roads, and left 170 families without shelter. During the formative stage of Marco, a high pressure area combined with the low pressure of Marco resulted in a tight pressure gradient which led to beach erosion and gale force winds on the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coast. In Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, swollen rivers flooded several towns and numerous banana plantations. Parts of Honduras's Atlantic Coast were devastated by large amounts of rain, forcing 60,000 people from their homes. In addition, four thousand homes were destroyed, and 40 wooden bridges were washed away.
Marco was known for being a hurricane to enter the Caribbean and not make landfall, a rare occurrence. Also, hurricane hunter flights recorded volatile center structure with severe turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
, extreme rainfall and hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
during a flight into the storm. Since Marco was not retired it was used again in 2008
Tropical Storm Marco (2008)
Tropical Storm Marco was the smallest known tropical cyclone on record. The thirteenth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Marco developed out of a broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean during late September 2008. Influenced by a tropical wave on October 4,...
and will be used again in 2014.
See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- List of tropical cyclone names