The 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane was the second @-@ most intense tropical cyclone to strike the United States during the active 1933 Atlantic hurricane season . The eleventh tropical storm , fifth hurricane , and the third major hurricane of the season , it formed east @-@ northeast of the Leeward Islands on August 31 . The tropical storm moved rapidly west @-@ northwestward , steadily intensifying to a hurricane . It acquired peak winds of 140 miles per hour ( 225 km / h ) and passed over portions of the Bahamas on September 3 , including Eleuthera and Harbour Island , causing severe damage to crops , buildings , and infrastructure . Winds over 100 mph ( 161 km / h ) affected many islands in its path , especially those that encountered its center , and many wharves were ruined .