Tropical Storm Marco Forms, Rapid Intensification for the Small Storm

In meteorology size does not matter. If something is a closed system with strong winds whirling around that center it is a bona fide storm and in this case named Marco. Possibly small after his namesake Marco Dane (we know what soap the gang at the NHC watches... )he will cause trouble for someone in his path.

Small storms have the ability to intensify rapidly and he has done so all afternoon and they have issued a Hurricane Watch in case the trend continues. So small, cradled there like a circle children drew on the map with crayons yet it is very real, very windy and yes... very small but it has a name.

Good link posted to some info on Hurricane City Message Board:

http://members.boardhost.com/hurricanecity/msg/1223330166.html

Read the article here..

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/06/hurricane-marco.html

Excerpts from the NHC Discussion tells a kind of dramatic tale of a quickly put together flight into the storm, very impressive actually. Sort of like a NHC version of the Wild Cat formation it seems, no huddle, let's do it and fly it and get the info. Impressive that they acted so fast with little notice.

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/at200813.public.html#a_topad

"Marco could be near hurricane
strength as it approaches the coast...and accordingly a Hurricane
Watch has been issued for a portion of the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
It should be noted that if the current intensification trend
continues...it may be necessary to issue a Hurricane Warning later
this evening."


"We thank the 53rd weather reconnaissance squadron for their quick
response to our short-notice request to investigate this storm."

So... a storm this small that forms in the morning can indeed near hurricane force winds by the evening. Small storms have their own quirky dynamics that allow them to do things big lumbering storms cannot.

For those of you who love lighthouses, read on about the Veracruz Light house or tower, reminds me a bit of the Freedom Tower in Miami or one of those beautiful old buildings in St. Augustine.

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/mxg.htm

Look at these satellite images of Marco. On Dvorak you can see the intensity of his inner core yet look over at the State of Florida... that central core is smaller than Lake Okeechobee. It's a small storm. It's powerful. Small but powerful. Like an angry killer bee I suppose.



A list of some storms that have hit Veracruz. Personally, I was always partial to Roxanne.

To quote from the Wikipedia Link posted below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veracruz

"Veracruz as the entry point for conquest, became the principal point of communication and harbor between Spain and New Spain. From this port were shipped many products to Europe like cotton, rice, wheat, domestic animals, gun powder, textiles, wine and all the considerable produce from this rich colony and particular territory."

Now you know something about Veracruz other than it being the site of romance novels and recipes for great fish dishes..

As for the One Life to Live link to the boys at the NHC..

Think on this... these names are used on the various lists.

Marco
Karen
Dorian
Vicky
Victor
Rene
Erika (vicky..)
Katrina (now off the list)
Larry
Danny
Sam
Wanda
Vince

This does not take a brain surgeon here and there are a few names that have been retired... and seems they were not fond of the Buchanan Clan (no Clint? no Cord? Hmnnnn)

Hmmmmnnn

Some storms have only one life to live and others... stay on the lists year after year.


Enjoy and hope you all reading this are able to ride out the financial storm affecting our country. Shame we don't have any good models to forecast what will happen next.

Be well.. Bobbi



Then again... Marco went over to General Hospital and he did a few lifetimes didn't he? Some models have Tropical Storm Marco making it to the Pacific however I have a problem with a storm that small making the crossing...but well.. hate to count out a storm named Marco...

;)