VERACRUZ, Mexico -- Tropical Storm Marco roared ashore on Mexico's Gulf coast with near-hurricane force winds Tuesday, prompting a shutdown of some oil platforms.

The storm flooded coastal highways and brought heavy rains to Veracruz, but the busy port appeared to have escaped most of the storm's wrath.

Marco was a tightly wound storm with winds extending out only about 15 miles from the center, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

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

Marco had maximum sustained winds near 65 mph. The storm hit land about 55 miles north of Veracruz, then headed inland at 8 mph. Forecasters said it would dissipate as it moved over mountainous terrain.

Mexico's Communications and Transportation Department ordered the small ports of Nautla and Alvarado closed to small vessels.

Veracruz state authorities were setting up shelters and preparing to evacuate communities in low-lying areas still trying to recover from 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 of water.

''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 and forecasters said it could hit the southern Baja California Peninsula by the weekend before bringing rain to the northern Mexican mainland.

The hurricane center said Norbert was centered 555 miles south-southeast of the tip of the peninsula early Tuesday and it was moving west-northwest at 8 mph. It had winds of 80 mph and was likely to strengthen.

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