Tropical Storm Marco closing in on Mexico's coast

[October 07, 2008]  VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) -- Tropical Storm Marco was closing in on Mexico's coast early Tuesday and threatened to hit with near-hurricane strength winds later in the day.

Marco was a small tropical storm with winds extending out only up to 15 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

In the Gulf of Mexico, the country's state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said Monday it had evacuated 33 workers from four offshore platforms, closed six wells and shut down a natural gas processing plant in Veracruz state ahead of Marco's arrival.

A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning were in effect for Mexico's Gulf Coast from Cabo Rojo south to Veracruz. A tropical storm warning for areas south of Veracruz was canceled early Tuesday.

Marco had maximum sustained winds near 65 mph. The storm was centered about 105 miles southeast of Tuxpan, Mexico, at 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The storm was moving west-northwest near 8 mph.

Mexico's Communications and Transportation Department on Monday ordered the closure to small vessels of the Gulf ports of Nautla and Alvarado.

Veracruz state authorities were setting up shelters and preparing to evacuate communities in low-lying areas still trying to recovering from heavy flooding caused by heavy rains last week.

Ranulfo Marquez, the state's top civil protection official, said 68 shelters would remain open in southern Veracruz, where rain-swollen rivers jumped their banks leaving the towns of Minatitlan and Hidalgotitlan under 10 feet.

"This will be a strong phenomenon (for the state), especially taking into account that we already have 43 rivers that have overflowed," Marquez said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Mexico, Norbert strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane over the Pacific Ocean late Monday but forecasters said it was not expected to threaten land. The hurricane center said the hurricane was located about 585 miles south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California.

Norbert -- the seventh hurricane of the Pacific season -- had maximum sustained winds near 75 mph and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph.

[Associated Press; By MIGUEL ANGEL HERNANDEZ]

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