The cyclone initially weakened quickly after moving inland, falling to Category 1 status early the next day.

Shortly thereafter, the system curved northward over the Nature Coast and entered Georgia on August 28, where it weakened to a tropical storm.

Closer to the location of landfall, the Lake Worth Inlet observed a sustained wind speeds of 127 mph (204 km/h).

Palm Beach County was one of the worst impacted areas, with 65 homes destroyed and 13,283 others damaged to some degree.

Just to the north, Martin County also received extensive impact, with severe damage inflicted to about 40% of homes and commercial buildings in Stuart, where winds gusted to 160 mph (260 km/h) prior to the worst conditions.

[nb 1] At 06:00 UTC on August 23, a moderate tropical storm developed about 200 mi (320 km) east of Sint Maarten.

At 12:00 UTC on August 24, while situated north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the tropical storm strengthened to a minimal hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 km/h).

Subsequently, it organized rapidly, and was "well developed" when it passed near Nassau on the morning of August 26—at that time bearing winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), equivalent to a major hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale.

[nb 2][1][2] Later on August 26, the storm strengthened further over the Gulf Stream, and its eye made landfall on the city of Lake Worth, Florida, at 23:00 UTC.

[1][6] Nearby, an airport in West Palm Beach registered calm conditions and a barometric pressure of 28.17 inHg (954 mb).

The system diminished to a tropical storm near Cedar Key, and entered southern Georgia during the morning of August 28.

[2] The cyclone passed through the Mid-Atlantic states and New England on August 29, became extratropical over New Hampshire, and was last detected over the North Atlantic Ocean near Ireland on September 1.

[9] On August 26, hurricane warnings were released from Miami to Vero Beach; officials decided to cancel proposed evacuations of the Lake Okeechobee region, as the presence of the Herbert Hoover Dike was expected to prevent flooding.

[13] Water entered many homes in Palm Beach and Martin counties, causing snakes and mosquitoes to infest residences.

[3] The cyclone produced hurricane-force gusts in Florida from Miami Beach to Saint Augustine; the majority of the state experienced sustained winds of at least 50 mph (80 km/h).

[3] A maximum sustained wind of 153 mph (246 km/h) was reported from the Jupiter Inlet Light prior to the loss of the anemometer; although conditions were slightly more severe after the reading, reliable estimates are unavailable,[2] and the highest observed reading was recorded above the standard elevation of 10 m (33 ft).

Impact in the city and Miami Beach was primarily limited to minor damage to signs, plants, and trees.

[14] One death occurred in the city when a man drowned in Biscayne Bay while swimming to moor a small boat.

Much of the island of Palm Beach was covered with power lines, trees, broken glass, sand, and other debris.

Between Joseph E. Widener's mansion in Palm Beach and the Lake Worth casino, several washouts were reported.

The radio antenna at the town hall collapsed, damaging the roof, police and firefighters barracks, the door to the fire station, and a car.

Between 300 and 400 homes were impacted by the storm, with most of the effects limited to broken roofs, shattered windows, and water damage.

Nearby, several warehouses which stored cars experienced roof cave-ins, crushing a number of vehicles.

Nearby, storm surge flooded a hotel lobby with 6 in (150 mm) of water, while winds damaged its glass dome.

[14] In the Treasure Coast region, a wind gust unofficially reached 160 mph (260 km/h) at Stuart, as measured by a rooftop anemometer at a fire station, but instrumentation was disabled prior to the worst conditions.

Buildings received considerable damage in the Lake Placid area, and telegraph, telephone, rail, and bus services were disrupted.

A number of electrical poles and wires fell, while fallen palm and oak trees blocked at least a dozen streets.

At the Munn Park Historic District, winds shattered at least six storefront plate glass windows, uprooted hundreds of trees, and detached large advertising billboards from their anchors.

[12] In Alabama, a strong thunderstorm on the fringes of the hurricane damaged several airplanes, interrupted electrical services, and injured four people in Birmingham.

[35] Flooding affected Georgia and the Carolinas, although the rains alleviated drought conditions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England.