Dothan, AL Tornado History — 157 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Dothan, AL had?
Dothan has had 157 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Dothan?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Dothan was an EF2 on May 10, 2025.
When is tornado season in Dothan?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Dothan, with 30 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Dothan
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 73 total, averaging 3.6 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Dothan since December 29, 2025
These are 6 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Dothan. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Dothan
8 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Dothan since 1950, across 5 events. 255 injuries have been reported across all events. 1972 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F2 on January 13, 1972, which caused 4 fatalities along a 6.3-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Dothan
About Tornadoes in Dothan
This overview was written July 28, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Dothan sits in Houston County, in the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama near the Florida and Georgia lines, and its tornado history follows the Deep South's two severe-weather seasons: spring outbreaks in March and April, and cool-season storms that arrive between November and January.
The cool season has hit hard here. On January 13, 1972, an F2 tornado killed four people and injured 88 along a 6.3-mile path. In late December 1973, F3 tornadoes struck on December 29 and 30, one carving a 15-mile track and another injuring 14 people. On December 16, 2000, an F2 ran 29 miles through the area, and on January 3, 2017, EF2 tornadoes cut paths of 7.82 and 4.34 miles.
Spring has been just as consequential. An F2 on March 5, 1984, tracked eight miles and caused $27,500,000 in property damage, and an EF2 on April 20, 2020, killed one person along a 5.18-mile path.
The pattern has continued in recent years. An EF2 on January 9, 2024, traveled 34.76 miles on a path up to 1,000 yards wide, killing one person, injuring ten, and causing $6,250,000 in damage. On May 10, 2025, an EF2 tracked 15.48 miles through the area, injuring one person.