Houston County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Houston County: 1.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 8, 1998Flood, Houston$85.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense Gulf storm deposited up to 14 inches of rain across southeast Alabama on March 6-8. Houston, Dale, and Geneva counties were declared federal disaster areas. In Geneva County, runoff from torrential rains in Coffee and Dale counties pushed the Chotawhatchee River out of its banks. Resultant flooding the week of March 8 damaged 85 homes, washed out many of the county roads and closed State Highway 27 south from Geneva. An estimated 300 residents were without water. Communities suffering the worst damage were Malvern, Slocomb, Geneva, and Samson. The Choctawhatchee River at Geneva crested near 39.3 feet on March 9. In Houston County, 60 roads were closed. At Cottonwood,…

2. Jan 9, 2024Tornado$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This is a continuation of the Jackson county tornado. The Houston county portion of the tornado is rated EF2 with max winds estimated at 130 mph. This tornado touched down in a swampy area, just east of Holmes Creek in northwest Jackson County. The tornado initially uprooted and snapped several softwood and hardwood trees, along Hickshill Road and in addition, it damaged an outbuilding there. The tornado continued northeast, damaging more hardwood and softwood trees along Piano Road. The first structure to be impacted by this tornado was a double-wide manufactured home on the northern side of Piano Road. Additional softwood and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted along…

3. Oct 10, 2018Hurricane (Typhoon), Houston$2.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Michael started as typical weak October Caribbean tropical system. However, after approximately a week of slow development, the system moved into warm Gulf of Mexico waters and rapidly intensified into a major hurricane as it moved north towards the Florida Panhandle. After a 2-day long intensification period over the eastern Gulf, Michael made landfall as an unprecedented (for the region) high-end category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained wind speed of 155 mph and a minimum pressure 919 mb. Based on wind, Michael is the fourth most powerful hurricane to hit the United States, behind the Labor Day…

4. Apr 25, 2015Thunderstorm Wind$2.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Dothan. At the peak, 40,000 customers were without power. Structural damage occurred to Houston County Farm Center with a preliminary damage assessment of major damage to 33 homes and minor damage to 115 homes. Also some cars had trees on them. The assessment listed the damage total at over $2.2 million. No injuries occurred in the storm itself, but 3 minor injuries occurred during cleanup.

5. Dec 24, 2015Flood$891,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Significant river flooding along the Chattahoochee River and heavy rainfall in the county resulted in flood damages estimated at $891,000 in Houston county. Of that amount, $500,000 was due to damage at the Columbia and Gordon boat landings along the Chattahoochee River, $366,000 was due to damage to roads and bridges in the county, and $25,000 was due to damage to the Omussee Park building.

6. Apr 30, 2014Flood$818,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Persistent moderate to heavy rain falling on saturated ground from previous heavy rain during the month led to numerous flooded roads across the county. Most of the damage was caused by dirt road washouts and cross-drain wash outs. Some roads affected included: Bruner Pond, Willie Varnum, Nobles, Ludlum, Cobb, Silcox, Hollis Dairy, Jimbo, Willie Raley, Pine Acres, Goodson, Lamp Bros, Jimmy Harper, Dock Lamb, JD Love, NCR75, Sowell, Stone Bluff, Davis Cherry, Iris, Barfield, and roads around the Chattahoochee State Park area. Road damage was estimated at $818,455.

7. Feb 11, 2013Flood$760,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding transitioned to widespread areal flooding across the county with numerous roads and bridges damaged. Emergency management estimated damage in the county at $760,000, all due to road damage.

8. Mar 22, 2005Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down about a half mile west of Firetower Road. As it traveled northeast, it destroyed three barns on County Road 81, and destroyed two large homes just north of Turnpike Road. Four people were injured and transported to a hospital in Dothan. Several mobile homes were damaged, with numerous trees and power lines down. The storm survey was conducted by the NWS Tallahassee WCM and SOO.

9. Jul 9, 2005Hurricane (Typhoon), Houston$650,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hurricane Dennis came ashore along the Alabama-Florida Panhandle coastline Sunday afternoon. Rainfall amounts ranged from two to four inches across extreme southeast Alabama. Most of the damage was a result of strong winds associated with Dennis' passing rain bands. A peak wind gust to 51 mph and lowest sea-level pressure of 999.2 mb were recorded at Dothan, AL. The Coffee County EMA reported trees down on eight county roads, several downed trees on power lines causing scattered power outages, and debris on roads. Wind gusts blew a carport into a wall of a house on County Road 656. About 1,000 customers were without power. In Dale County, the EMA reported James Street in Ozark…

10. Mar 31, 2025Tornado$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A tornado touched down in Dothan, AL and produced EF-1 damage along its entire length. The maximum winds were estimated to be 105 mph. The tornado initially touched down near Rimson Rd. and then travelled east northeast along Southland Dr. Damage began to become less scattered as the tornado crossed South Bell Dr., continuing to snap and uproot trees, a few of which fell on homes. The tornado then entered a business district where it did substantial damage to the Dothan Preparatory Academy. Several sections of the roof were removed and several windows were broken. Unfortunately, a few students suffered minor injuries when a portion of the gymnasium s roof was removed. Some of the…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

105°F4 times, most recently Jul 2, 2009

All-time low

4°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

82°F6 times, most recently Jun 18, 2009

Coldest day

23°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Wettest day

9.59 inNov 8, 1989

Snowiest day

5.5 inJan 21, 2025

Hottest year

1990mean 70.9°F

Coldest year

1976mean 64.9°F

Wettest year

199078.13 in

Driest year

201137.08 in

Snowiest season

5.5 in2024-25

Station Dothan Regional Airport (USW00013839), 368 ft elevation, 8.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1970 to October 26, 2026; 99.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013839.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.