Did Dothan students have enough time to shelter from tornado?

DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — It was not long after students at Dothan Preparatory Academy took shelter that a tornado suddenly touched down around the campus Monday afternoon, causing significant damage.

Following the storms, some parents took to social media with rumors, saying the kids were not taken to shelter and safely fast enough once the weather became a threat and a tornado warning was issued. One parent even yelled to a WDHN reporter at the school just after the tornado, saying the same.

Dennis Coe, Dothan City Schools superintendent, defended his staff, saying their quick response was a main reason the injuries were not worse.

“The incident at DPA happened really without any notice,” Coe said. “By the time it struck DPA, there was no warning. As soon as our teachers recognized what the situation was, they immediately implemented our drill (tornado drill) that we practice on a routine basis. Our teachers and staff implemented those drill before the warning went out.”

But how much warning did we get before the destruction began?

According to records and data, the National Weather Service issued to tornado warning for Houston County and Dothan at exactly 12:32 p.m. The suspected tornado touched down only one minute later, at 12:33 p.m., giving faculty and staff a minute or less to react to the official warning given by the NWS.

Severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the area at 12:22 p.m., 10 minutes before the tornado warning was issued.

While the thunderstorm warning was sent out before, a severe thunderstorm warning does not always indicate a tornado will form. A severe thunderstorm warning indicates there may be 58 mile per hour wind gusts, quarter size hail and a possible brief tornado.

The tornado Monday dropped very quickly, and each severe weather setup is different. Some might only produce hail and no severe wind, while some events may only produce winds up to 60 miles per hour.

Five students sustained minor injuries when the storm hit the school. Two of the students were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other three students did not have to be transported and were treated on the scene.

Some parents were also upset that school was in session Monday. It was their first day back from spring break.

Coe defended the decision, saying the weather briefings on Sunday and Monday with the NWS and Dothan-Houston County EMA gave the school system the indication that the weather would hit sometime between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

“We made the decision that out children would be safer at school, and it wouldn’t impact our entry or dismissal time,” Coe said.

Following the tornado, DPA Principal James Williams also took to social media, praising his staff and calling out those negative posts.

“Overall, the staff of DPA put themselves into gear and protected our students in the moments that mattered the most! For that I am grateful,” Williams stated. “This is not the time to start expressing your negative opinions about people. Instead pause and thank God that no one lost their life! Even the students that were injured, did not receive life threatening injuries! This could have been so much worse! I’m grateful!”