Natural hazards · Dothan

Dothan, AL natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dothan comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 93 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Dothan?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dothan to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding42%Hurricanes25%Tornadoes20%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Dothan faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

25% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Dothan flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dothan, from FEMA’s records.

93paid claims since 1978

$2.0Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Alberto: 10 claims, $51K
Hurricane Sally: 1 claim, $6K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Dothan isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Houston County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

43storm safe rooms built

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Dothan

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Dothan itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Dothan.

Brought FEMA money into DothanDeclared for Houston County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

$15K to the City of Dothan for repairs

2018

Hurricane Michael

$3.8M to the City of Dothan for repairs

2017

Hurricane Irma

$49K to the City of Dothan for repairs

2009

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes & Straight-Line

305 households applied for aid $650K aid approved $582K to the City of Dothan for repairs

2005

Hurricane Dennis

$335K to the City of Dothan for repairs

2004

Hurricane Ivan

114 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $528K to the City of Dothan for repairs

2002

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

1 household applied for aid

2000

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

$7K to the City of Dothan for repairs

Houston County has had 24 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

Around Dothan

Dothan and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Webbmostly inland floodingHigh

Kinseymostly inland floodingHigh

Cowartsmostly inland floodingHigh

Rehobethmostly inland floodingHigh

Taylormostly inland floodingHigh

Dothanmostly inland floodingModerate

Headlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Midland Citymostly inland floodingModerate

Napier Fieldmostly inland floodingModerate

Grimesmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Dothan covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dothan’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Dothan. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Dothan total about $33.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.