Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: Marilyn struck the Lesser Antilles on September 14 at Category 1 strength , and intensified to nearly Category 3 strength by the time it reached the U.S. Virgin Islands .
Simplified: Marilyn made landfall on the Lesser Antilles on September 14 , 1995 at Category 1 strength . By the time it reached the U.S. Virgin Islands , Marilyn was a Category 3 strength hurricane .