major hurricane, the storm moved through the Yucatán Channel on September 28, then accelerated toward the north-northeast. In the early morning on September 29, the hurricane struck Florida's Cedar Keys and moved inland across Levy County. The small but intense hurricane sped northward through northern Florida and southern Georgia; its rapid movement allowed it to maintain much of its severity over land. Extremely high winds accompanied the hurricane to the east of its track through the Mid-Atlantic states, and a band of heavy rain fell to its west from northern North Carolina to southern Pennsylvania. While becoming extratropical, the storm struck Washington, D.C., late on September 29, and after crossing central Pennsylvania, it dissipated near the Southern Tier of New York. Its remnants merged with another low pressure area over the Great Lakes. The Cedar Keys were struck by a devastating storm surge that undermined buildings, washed out the connecting railroad to the mainland, and fully submerged the smaller, outlying islands where 31 people were killed. Strong winds destroyed many of the red cedar trees that played an important role in the economy of the region, and several cedar mills were severely damaged or destroyed. In interior Florida, the hurricane devastated many communities, leaving thousands of people homeless. Few homes or businesses were left standing in the hardest-hit areas. In northern Florida and southern Georgia, the hurricane razed millions of acres of pine forests, which crippled the local turpentine industry. In Savannah, Georgia, a 45-minute onslaught of fierce winds unroofed thousands of structures and left parks in a state of disarray. Damage to shipping and shoreline settlements in the Sea Islands was extensive. As the hurricane continued northward, cities and agricultural districts alike suffered extensive damage in Virginia. Flash flooding in the Shenandoah Valley culminated in the failure of an earthen dam upstream from Staunton, unleashing a torrent of water that swept homes from their foundations and ravaged the town's business district. In Washington, D.C., thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped, communications were severed, and localized streaks of violent gusts damaged many public and private buildings. Many trees, some of historical significance, were blown down on the White House grounds. In Pennsylvania, flooding rains and powerful wind gusts produced widespread destruction, washing out railroads in western areas while demolishing hundreds of barns in and around Lancaster County. The storm demolished a bridge over the Susquehanna River, while the Gettysburg