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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Dothan, AL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

55 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Dothan, Alabama since 1851, 11 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Fred in 2021. Since 1950, 149 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
11

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
44

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
149

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
4

16 deaths in all

Tropical storms and hurricanes near Dothan

Tropical systems that passed within 75 miles of Dothan, Alabama, newest first
YearStormClosestStrength when closestPeak
2021FredAug 171 miTropical storm (45 mph)Tropical storm
2019NestorOct 1951 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
2018MichaelOct 1037 miCategory 3 (120 mph)Category 5
2018AlbertoMay 2872 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2008FayAug 2357 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
2004FrancesSep 751 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
2001BarryAug 669 miTropical storm (60 mph)Tropical storm
1998EarlSep 349 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 2
1994JohnSep 811 miCategory 1 (77 mph)Category 5
1994BerylAug 1622 miTropical storm (39 mph)Tropical storm
1994AlbertoJul 363 miTropical storm (52 mph)Tropical storm
1985KateNov 2264 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 3
1975EloiseSep 2339 miCategory 2 (101 mph)Category 3
1972AgnesJun 2033 miTropical storm (43 mph)Category 1
1965Unnamed 1965 stormJun 1513 miTropical storm (53 mph)Tropical storm
1964HildaOct 537 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 4
1964DoraSep 1243 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 4
1957DebbieSep 866 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1956FlossySep 2526 miTropical storm (55 mph)Category 1
1953FlorenceSep 2711 miTropical storm (54 mph)Category 3
1953AliceJun 663 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1950KingOct 1964 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 4
1941Unnamed 1941 stormOct 768 miCategory 1 (75 mph)Category 3
1937Unnamed 1937 stormAug 3134 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1929Unnamed 1929 stormOct 149 miTropical storm (67 mph)Category 4
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 143 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 1
1928Unnamed 1928 stormAug 1056 miTropical storm (40 mph)Category 2
1917Unnamed 1917 stormSep 296 miTropical storm (71 mph)Category 4
1915Unnamed 1915 stormSep 45 miTropical storm (66 mph)Category 2
1914Unnamed 1914 stormSep 188 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1912Unnamed 1912 stormJul 1666 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormSep 2855 miTropical storm (48 mph)Tropical storm
1907Unnamed 1907 stormJun 2955 miTropical storm (56 mph)Tropical storm
1906Unnamed 1906 stormJun 1313 miTropical storm (44 mph)Tropical storm
1903Unnamed 1903 stormSep 1430 miTropical storm (64 mph)Category 1
1902Unnamed 1902 stormOct 1169 miTropical storm (44 mph)Category 2
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 2862 miTropical storm (40 mph)Tropical storm
1901Unnamed 1901 stormSep 1713 miTropical storm (48 mph)Category 1
1899Unnamed 1899 stormAug 217 miTropical storm (51 mph)Category 2
1898Unnamed 1898 stormAug 358 miTropical storm (59 mph)Category 1
1896Unnamed 1896 stormJul 712 miCategory 1 (76 mph)Category 2
1894Unnamed 1894 stormOct 954 miCategory 2 (104 mph)Category 3
1889Unnamed 1889 stormSep 2333 miTropical storm (56 mph)Category 2
1887Unnamed 1887 stormOct 2034 miTropical storm (39 mph)Category 1
1887Unnamed 1887 stormJul 2736 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 2
1885Unnamed 1885 stormAug 3166 miTropical storm (55 mph)Tropical storm
1882Unnamed 1882 stormSep 1022 miCategory 1 (82 mph)Category 3
1881Unnamed 1881 stormAug 2870 miTropical storm (53 mph)Category 2
1877Unnamed 1877 stormOct 362 miCategory 1 (87 mph)Category 3
1877Unnamed 1877 stormSep 2037 miTropical storm (63 mph)Category 1
1875Unnamed 1875 stormSep 2755 miTropical storm (46 mph)Tropical storm
1871Unnamed 1871 stormAug 2658 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1860Unnamed 1860 stormAug 1314 miTropical storm (46 mph)Category 3
1856Unnamed 1856 stormAug 3131 miCategory 1 (86 mph)Category 3
1851Unnamed 1851 stormAug 2438 miCategory 2 (100 mph)Category 3

Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Dothan: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Dothan

By decade

  • 2020s26
  • 2010s29
  • 2000s23(1 EF3+)
  • 1990s22
  • 1980s20
  • 1970s15(3 EF3+)
  • 1960s3
  • 1950s11
Strongest tornadoes near Dothan, Alabama
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Mar 1, 2007EF424 mi10.33 mi9 / 50
Dec 30, 1973F321 mi1.5 mi0 / 14
Dec 29, 1973F310 mi15 mi0 / 2
Dec 29, 1973F319 mi11.6 mi0 / 11
Jan 13, 1972F222 mi6.3 mi4 / 88
Jan 9, 2024EF213 mi34.76 mi1 / 10
Apr 19, 2020EF215 mi5.18 mi1 / 0
Jun 25, 1972F220 mi0.5 mi1 / 2
Jan 2, 2017EF225 mi4.34 mi0 / 0
Jan 2, 2017EF25 mi7.82 mi0 / 0
Mar 22, 2005F217 mi3 mi0 / 4
Dec 16, 2000F210 mi29 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 149, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Dothan while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

Other cities in Alabama