[5] The hurricane struck Barbados likely as a Category 5 hurricane, with one-minute maximum sustained winds at possibly 175 mph (280 km/h), and at least one estimate of wind gusts as high as 200 mph (320 km/h),[6] before moving past Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Sint Eustatius, and causing thousands of deaths on those islands.

The system ultimately strengthened and expanded as it tracked slowly westward; affecting Barbados late on October 9.

Early on October 11, the hurricane turned north-northwest about 90 kilometers (56 mi) east of Saint Lucia, and later that night it neared the island of Martinique.

The cyclone gradually weakened as it passed to the southwest of Dominica early on October 12 and subsequently struck the island of Guadeloupe.

[3] After hitting Guadeloupe, the hurricane turned west-northwest, passing about 145 km (90 mi) southwest of Saint Kitts.

The hurricane steadily neared Puerto Rico as it paralleled the southern coastline, and on October 14 made its closest point of approach, to the southwest portion of the island.

It subsequently turned to the northwest, going through the Mona Passage before making landfall near the present-day Dominican Republic province of Samaná.

Late on October 15, it reached the Atlantic Ocean and after passing about 260 km (160 mi) east of Grand Turk Island; it is estimated to have recurved to the northeast.

NOAA employees, Christopher W. Landsea and Al Sandrik write that it is possible the hurricane passed much closer to the province than previously thought.

[3] Cuban meteorologist José Carlos Millás has estimated that this damage could be caused only by winds exceeding 200 miles per hour (320 km/h).

According to British Admiral George Brydges Rodney, the winds carried their heavy cannons aloft 100 feet (30 m).

[3] On Saint Lucia, rough waves and a strong storm tide struck the fleet of Admiral Rodney at Port Castries, with one ship destroying the city's hospital after being lifted on top of it.

Here we had from 12 to 22 October of this year a very fierce wind & a heavy see that ruined a lot of houses and warehouses, yes even many ships were wrecked and many people were killed.

By far the worst losses in the Royal Navy, however, were those ships under the command of Vice-Admiral Peter Parker and Rear-Admiral Joshua Rowley.

At the time of the hurricane, Rowley was off the coast of New York with a portion of the fleet, including HMS Sandwich, while Parker was in Port Royal, Jamaica.