On October 10, 1780, the Great Hurricane of 1780 killed 20,000 to 30,000 in the Caribbean, hitting Barbados first. It is the Atlantic's deadliest recorded hurricane. An excerpt from the article:
"In October 1780, a powerful storm slammed the islands of the Caribbean, killing more than 20,000 people. Known as the Great Hurricane of 1780, it is among the deadliest storms ever recorded. Specifics about the hurricane, such as its exact point of origin and strength, are unknown, as it took place before the advent of modern storm-tracking technology.
However, it is believed to have first made landfall in Barbados on October 10 before it swept through much of the rest of the eastern Caribbean over the next week. Barbados, Martinique and St. Lucia were among the locations hardest hit, and there were thousands of casualties on these islands, along with significant property damage."