Hurricane Donna was the fifth tropical disturbance, the fourth named storm, and the third hurricane of the 1960 season. A classic Cape Verde storm, Donna was first detected as a tropical wave moving off the African coast on August 29. It became a tropical storm over the Atlantic the next day and a hurricane on September 1. Hurricane Donna followed a general west-northwestward track for the following five days, passing over the northern Leeward Islands on the 4th and 5th as a Category 4 hurricane and then to the north of Puerto Rico later on the 5th.

Hurricane Donna turned westward on September 7 and passed through the southeastern Bahamas. A northwestward turn on the 9th brought the hurricane to the middle Florida Keys the next day at Category 4 intensity. Hurricane Donna then curved northeastward, crossing the Florida Peninsula on September 11, followed by eastern North Carolina (Category 3) on the 12th, and the New England states (Category 3 on Long Island and Categories 1 to 2 elsewhere) on the 12th and 13th. The storm became extratropical over eastern Canada on the 13th.

Hurricane Donna is the only hurricane known to have produced hurricane-force winds in Florida, the Mid-Atlantic states, and New England. Sombrero Key, Florida reported 128 mph (206 km/h) sustained winds with gusts to 150 mph (241 km/h). In the Mid-Atlantic states, Elizabeth City, North Carolina reported 83 mph (134 km/h) sustained winds, while Manteo, North Carolina reported a 120 mph (193 km/h) gust. In New England, Block Island, Rhode Island reported 95 mph (153 km/h) sustained winds with gusts to 130 mph (209 km/h).

Hurricane Donna caused storm surges of up to 13 ft (4 m) in the Florida Keys and 11 ft (3.4 m) surges along the southwest coast of Florida. Four to eight ft surges were reported along portions of the North Carolina coast, with 5 to 10 ft (1.5 to 3 m) surges along portions of the New England coast. Heavy rainfalls of 10 to 15 inches (254 to 381 mm) occurred in Puerto Rico, 6 to 12 inches (152 to 304 mm) in Florida, and 4 to 8 inches (100 to 200 mm) elsewhere along the path of the hurricane.

A barometric pressure at landfall of 27.46 inches (923 mb) makes Hurricane Donna the sixth strongest hurricane to hit the United States. It was responsible for 50 deaths in the United States. One hundred and fourteen deaths were reported from the Leeward Islands to the Bahamas, including 107 in Puerto Rico caused by flooding from the heavy rains. Donna caused over $1 billion dollars of damage. Modern analysis suggests that Hurricane Donna would cause $12 billion in property damage if it struck today.