[1] The tropical wave that spawned Brenda moved off the west coast of Africa on August 9, and uneventfully traversed the Atlantic.

By August 13, the wave began to regenerate as it passed through the Lesser Antilles, producing scattered shower and thunderstorm activity.

Prior to its first landfall, Brenda suddenly intensified, with the central barometric pressure decreasing to 992 mbar (hPa; 29.29 inHg)[1] and winds reached 65 mph (105 km/h).

[2] The storm moved inland roughly 30 mi (48 km) north of Cozumel at the northern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula on August 19.

[2] The next day, a well-defined eye had developed and the storm attained its peak intensity as a high-end Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 977 mbar (hPa; 28.85 inHg).

[3] The storm made landfall later that day near Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico at this intensity, becoming the first hurricane to strike the region on record.

[5] The United States Coast Guard responded to the distress call sent out by the ship once Brenda had moved into the Gulf of Mexico on August 21.

[1][7] Following the damage wrought by Brenda, a large earthquake struck the region, hampering relief efforts and collapsing numerous structures.