the country. In the Pacific and northern regions of Nicaragua, numerous houses washed away in the floods. In addition, Nicaraguan civil defense authorities reported two fatalities. Further north in Guatemala, at least one death occurred, and flood waters damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes. Swollen rivers in Costa Rica flooded several towns and numerous banana plantations. During its formative stage, a high-pressure area combined with the low pressure of Marco resulted in a tight pressure gradient which led to beach erosion and gale force winds on the Florida coast. In Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, heavy surf generated by the combination of those systems caused of beach erosion. Additionally, of top sand were lost in that region. Further north, severe beach erosion caused the loss of as much as of the dune line in Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. Other impact was minimal. Marco was one of few hurricanes to enter the Caribbean Sea and not make landfall. Also, Hurricane Hunter flights recorded volatile center structure with severe turbulence, extreme rainfall, and hail during a flight into the storm. Overall, Marco caused 14 fatalities and approximately $8.2 million in damage. Aftermath While Marco was still spinning in the western Caribbean, the Government of Honduras allotted 70 million HNL ($5.6 million 1996 USD) in emergency assistance. Following the storm, several countries contributed cash toward the recovery of Honduras, including: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States; cash donations collectively totaled slightly more than $438,000. In addition, the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs contributed an emergency grant, worth $10,000. Japan donated 40 tents, 10 water purifiers, 480 soaps, and 3 emergency health kits in lieu of money. Norway donated almost $71,000 worth of food, medicines, and clothing. Spain also contributed medicine and transportation, costing $156,250. The United States donated plastic sheeting, water containers, and family food bags. The primary contributor of non-government aid was the Red Cross. After the storm, the Red Cross set up temporary shelters in San Pedro Sula, Puerto Cortés, and El Progreso. Additionally, they distributed 3,000 pounds of powdered milk, clothing, 500 sheets, chlorine boxes, 14,000 pounds of rice, 15,000 pounds of beans and 9,000 pounds of maize, sugar, and butter. See also Other storms of the same name List of notable tropical cyclones List of tropical cyclone names References External links Monthly Weather Review National Hurricane Center