18. Killing approximately 3,500 people, the Central Atlantic Hurricane of 1782 struck a British naval fleet at an inopportune moment after engaging French forces.
Sailing from Bluefields, Jamaica, on July 25, 1782, Admiral Thomas Graves embarked into the North Atlantic. Traveling on board his flagship, HMS Ramillies, accompanied also by HMS Canada, HMS Centaur, and HMS Pallas, this small fleet of British ships escorted five French prizes, including proudly the Ville de Paris – a 110-gun ship of the line that had served as the flagship of the Comte de Grass during the American Revolutionary War – that had been captured at the Battle of the Saintes and the Battle of the Mona Passage. Encountering two French frigates on September 5, although sustaining damage to one ship progress continued unabated.
Joined by a number of merchant vessels seeking protection from privateers and French raiders, just twelve days later on September 17, whilst situated off the coast of Newfoundland, a violent storm erupted around the British. Forcing some smaller vessels to abandon the fleet and make for safe harbors, Graves sought to push on with the bulk of his forces. Only the Canada and a captured French ship, the Hector, survived and arrived in London. All three accompanying French prizes were sunk, as were the Centaur and Ramillies along with their merchant ship companions. It has been estimated a total of 3,500 sailors lost their lives in the incident.