Tropical Storm Marco was the smallest 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, a small low-level circulation center developed over Belize. After crossing the southern end of the Yucatán Peninsula, the low was declared Tropical Depression Thirteen early on October 6. The depression quickly intensified into a tropical storm (pictured) and was given the name Marco later that day. Marco reached its peak intensity with winds of 65 miles per hour (100 km/h) early on October 7. Around this time, tropical storm force winds extended 11.5 miles (18.5 km) from the center of the storm, making Marco the smallest tropical cyclone on record. Around 1200 UTC, Marco made landfall near Misantla, Veracruz. The storm rapidly weakened after landfall, dissipating later that day. Because of its small size, Marco caused minimal damage. However, the storm's heavy rains led to floods up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep that covered highways and damaged homes. (Full article...)
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