Marco strengthens to Category 1 hurricane: Track the storm

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Hurricanes have cost the U.S. billions, but none more than these five storms. Asheville Citizen Times

Tropical Storm Marco has officially strengthened to hurricane status as of Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

Marco was recorded as having maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, which classifies it at a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is located 300 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

It is forecast to continue to move north-northwest as it approaches Louisiana Sunday into Monday. It is expected to make landfall in Louisiana as a hurricane Monday night, according to the NHC.

After moving inland, Marco is expected to slow down and turn toward the northwest and west-northwest Monday night and Tuesday, moving across southern Louisiana into east Texas.

Marco is the earliest named “m” storm to form in recorded history and comes as Tropical Storm Laura is also expected to enter the Gulf early this week. If the forecast is accurate, it would be the first time in recorded history that two hurricanes were in the Gulf at the same time, according to Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach. 

Tropical Storm Laura is following a similar path, with the latest NHC forecast showing Laura barreling toward Louisiana as a hurricane Wednesday into Thursday. 

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