I believe that the reasoning behind the hurricane phrasing also implied that Hamilton's life was thrown into disarray when his mother passed. This however, never stopped him from pursuing a better life for himself. This can also be put into perspective with the quote "in the eye of the hurricane there is quiet for just a moment". This implies that when things seem okay for one moment there will always be something around the corner. Throughout Hamilton's entire life he didn't get many breaks; he grew up a poor immigrant, he was an orphan at a young age, and he fought tirelessly to secure his place in history. So, although it was an actual event it symbolizes more than that.
