 Television Infrared Observation Satellite XI ( TIROS XI ) imagery indicated the presence of an area of disturbed weather over Ivory Coast on August 18 . The system moved slowly westward and eventually reached the Atlantic Ocean . It is estimated that a tropical depression developed at 0000 UTC on August 21 , while located about 240 miles ( 390 km ) southeast of Cape Verde . Continuing westward , the depression intensified , and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Faith on the following day . Gradual intensification persisted as Tropical Storm Faith headed nearly due westward at 17 to 23 mph ( 27 to 37 km / h ) . By August 23 , Faith was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane . Curving slightly west @-@ northwestward , the storm reached Category 2 intensity and briefly peaked at sustained winds of 105 mph ( 165 km / h ) . Hurricane Faith curved to the northwest and weakened back to a Category 1 hurricane while approaching the northeastern Leeward Islands on August 25 . Initially , Faith was scheduled to be seeded as part of Project Stormfury . However , the scheduled seeding was cancelled as Faith was approaching The Bahamas . Bypassing the Leeward Islands , Faith remained at nearly the same intensity , until re @-@ strengthening into Category 2 hurricane on August 28 , near Turks and Caicos Islands . The storm quickly intensified further into a Category 3 hurricane only six hours later . 
