This is also the storm that made United States Life-Saving Service Keeper Dunbar Davis famous, for rescuing four ships.

The hurricane continued to strengthen, attaining Category 3 status on August 22 while located northeast of the Lesser Antilles.

It is believed that the first effects of the storm were beginning to be felt in the Sea Islands area, with the winds steadily increasing during the night of the 25th.

The hurricane passed north over South Carolina on August 28 and moved up the U.S. East Coast before becoming extratropical over Atlantic Canada.

[5]: 60  The storm downed hundreds of trees and partially or fully deroofed dozens of buildings in Florida, some as far as 50 mi (80 km) inland.

[5]: 66 The hurricane carried with it a heavy storm surge, reaching 16 ft (4.9 m) above sea-level according to Clara Barton, although the modern NOAA SLOSH model calculates that some areas may have been inundated up to 30 ft (9.1 m),[7] causing great destruction along the coastline and offshore Sea Islands in Georgia and South Carolina.

The News and Courier reported that storm surge reached 18 ft (5.5 m) at Wappoo Cut on Edisto Island and also noted that the water "spread itself over the surrounding country like an endless inland lake.

There, coastal flooding significantly damaged or demolished waterfronts and wharves,[5]: 66  while few homes in Beaufort and Port Royal remained undamaged by the winds.

A lot of structures in that area were not elevated higher than 2 feet, and consequently were inundated by the first waves that went above the normal high water mark.

After the Red Cross arrived, a warehouse of clothing and food was started at Beaufort, South Carolina, to provide services to the affected.

During a massive 10-month relief campaign, success was declared, with the Sea Islands population living in decent houses producing their own food again.

In Brooklyn, where 13 houses under construction were destroyed, damage was "severe" and Gravesend Bay was "littered with the wrecks of small yachts and boats."