I am not quite sure the point either but different sources have the speeds different. In addition the Marina he mentions as doing so well was not where the storm made landfall and probably saw winds in the 100 to 110 mph range. Vastly different than what the BVI saw. 20 miles can mean everything in storms like this. It made a huge difference with Maria when it passed through the Virgins.

After sweeping across the Virgin Islands as a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Maria on Wednesday morning plowed into Puerto Rico on the southeast shore as a barely diminished Category 4 storm, with winds of 155 miles per hour. The storm’s hurricane-force winds spanned the island, and all residents lost electricity.