Tropical Storm Marco was the only tropical cyclone to make landfall on the United States during the 1990 Atlantic hurricane season. The 13th named storm of the season, Marco formed from a cold-core low pressure area along the northern coast of Cuba on October 9, and tracked northwestward through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. With most of its circulation over the western portion of Florida, Tropical Storm Marco produced winds over land. However, it weakened to a tropical depression before moving ashore near Cedar Key. The cyclone combined with a cold front and the remnants of Hurricane Klaus to produce heavy rainfall in Georgia and the Carolinas. After interacting with the nearby Hurricane Lili, Marco continued northward until being absorbed by a cold front on October 13.
In Florida, the cyclone triggered flooding of some houses and roadways. Rainfall across its path peaked at in Louisville, Georgia, though several locations received over of precipitation. The flooding caused a total of 12 deaths, mostly due to drowning, as well as $57 million in damage (1990 USD$, USD).
Meteorological history
By early on October 6, a low pressure area and circulation persisted over eastern Cuba in the middle levels of the atmosphere. The low drifted westward, and interacted with Hurricane Klaus to its east. Initially cold-core in nature, the system gradually built downward to the surface, and on October 9, the low developed a low-level circulation; at 1200 UTC the National Hurricane Center classified it as Tropical Depression Fifteen while located near the Cuban city of Caibarién, though the cyclone was initially subtropical in character. To its east, Tropical Storm Klaus continued to weaken; the depression absorbed most of Klaus and became the dominant system. The storm tracked parallel to the coast of Cuba before veering northward and crossing the Florida Keys, where it intensified into Tropical Storm Marco about south-southeast of Key West, Florida.
After passing midway between Key West and the Dry Tortugas, Tropical Storm Marco adopted a steady northward track and quickly intensified, reaching peak winds of on October 11, while still southwest of Englewood, Florida. The center of the storm continued on its off-shore parallel for another six hours after reaching its peak intensity, until it reached a position about six mi (10 km) west of Bradenton Beach; although the center of the storm remained offshore, much of its circulation was over land. Initially the storm still was forecast to move ashore between Fort Myers and Sarasota. However, the cyclone continued its northward trajectory, the center remaining offshore, and it weakened to a tropical depression prior to making landfall near Cedar Key early on October 12.
After landfall, the cyclone accelerated in forward speed northward, weakening in intensity, and, by 1200 UTC on October 12, Marco became an extra-tropical cyclone. It turned to the northeast and east through South Carolina, following behind Hurricane Lili to its northeast. For a time, the system's proximity to Lili resulted in hints of the Fujiwhara effect, in which two tropical cyclone appear to rotate around each other. The cold front that absorbed the weakening low was to the storm's north on October 13, though moisture from the remnants of Marco dropped heavy rainfall across the southeast United States for another day.
Preparations
A tropical storm warning was issued at some point during the existence of the cyclone for the west coast of Florida from Key West to Apalachicola. Additionally, a tropical storm warning was put in place for the east coast from Vero Beach northward to Fernandina Beach. Before the arrival of Marco, elementary schools were closed on the three barrier islands in Lee County. Florida governor Bob Martinez ordered the closure of state offices in the Tampa Bay area, and also decided not to open the University of South Florida and nearby community colleges. Public schools were not opened on the day of the storm's passage in Manatee and Sarasota counties, though most other schools remained open. As the storm tracked northward, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of Georgia. A flood watch was later issued for western portions of the Carolinas and for high elevations in Virginia and West Virginia.