 A tropical depression developed well east of the Lesser Antilles on August 29 . Initially drifting westward , the storm gradually intensified and became a tropical storm early the next day . By August 31 , the system strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane . The next day , the hurricane entered the Caribbean Sea , passing the island of Dominica as a Category 2 hurricane . Continuing to intensify , the storm further intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on September 2 and then to a Category 4 the following day . Around 18 : 00 UTC on September 3 , the hurricane peaked with winds of 155 mph ( 250 km / h ) , observed by a ship . Simultaneously , the storm made landfall near Santo Domingo , Dominican Republic . 
