The storm struck ships that had already lost masts, sails, and ropes or taken holes in their hulls. Their crews were also coping with large numbers of wounded and dead, leaving fewer people able to work the vessel. Severe weather magnified every weakness left by the fighting. It helps explain why so many captured or damaged ships could not be brought safely away.
Notable Point · 23:08-23:46
Why the post-battle storm was so destructive
The post-battle storm endangered vessels already stripped of rigging, damaged in their hulls, and short of able-bodied crew.