Dora quickly weakened to tropical storm intensity over land on September 11 and then briefly drifted over southwestern Georgia, until turning northeastward later the next day.

Heavy rainfall damaged many unharvested crops and inundated numerous roads and bridges, isolated some communities for several days.

Hurricane Dora was first identified as a broad area of low pressure on August 28, 1964, that moved off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean near Dakar, Senegal.

By August 31, images from the eighth Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS VIII) depicted a developing storm with a central dense overcast, banding features and cirrus outflow.

Observations from ship Mormacscan, which passed closest to the storm, indicated decreasing barometric pressures and wind gusts up to 40 mph (65 km/h).

[1] As part of a review of the cyclone during the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in 2019, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Dora around 18:00 UTC on August 31.

[3]: 318  Shortly thereafter, the Weather Bureau in San Juan, Puerto Rico, issued the first advisory on the storm, with the center estimated to be roughly 850 mi (1,370 km) east of Trinidad.

[2] At the time, meteorologists expected the storm to maintain a northwesterly course and be steered over open waters by a trough associated with Hurricane Cleo to the west.

[4] That day, the hurricane attained its peak intensity as a Category 4-equivalent storm with winds estimated at 130 mph (215 km/h) and a minimum atmospheric pressure of 942 mbar (27.82 inHg).

[3]: 326  Around 06:00 UTC on September 10, the storm made landfall near St. Augustine, as a strong Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h).

[1] The cyclone quickly weakened after moving ashore, losing hurricane status within 12 hours,[2] and turned to the north just west of Tallahassee on September 11.

Early on the following day, Dora briefly became almost stationary over southwest Georgia, before a cold front caused it to accelerate northeastward.

[3]: 328  Dora also began merging with the cold front, leading to its transition into an extratropical cyclone over coastal South Carolina around 12:00 UTC on September 13.

Additionally, the United States' Weather Bureau office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, noted that "some slight erosion of beaches may have occurred due to heavy surf on September 3 and 4.

[4] Many areas of North Florida received at least 10 in (250 mm) of rainfall, damaging many unharvested crops and inundating numerous roads and bridges, which isolated some communities for several days.

[14] The storm was also one of the factors that nearly led to the cancellation of a Beatles concert at Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville on September 11; other reasons included that the Beatles would not perform with a segregated audience, the American Guild of Variety Artists forced the Fab Four to pay union dues, and that a group of filmmakers attempted to create bootleg footage of the concert.

Initially, the Beatles planned to fly to Jacksonville after their concert in Montreal on September 8, but the storm forced their plane to be diverted to Key West.

[27] Some trees were downed and a few classrooms suffered water leaks at St. Johns River Junior College in Palatka, but damage overall was minor.

[29] Civil defense authorities ordered evacuations for people residing along a 50–65 mi (80–105 km) stretch of the Suwannee River.

[24] The storm also interfered with the operation of local sewage plants, although the mayor noted that the water supply remained potable.

[36] At the University of Florida, the half-basements of Anderson, Flint, Matherly, and Tigert halls were flooded, though classes remained in session while crews pumped out the water.

Floodwaters in the town of Crystal River reached 4 in (0.10 m) deep inside city hall, while the Port Paradise Hotel reported about 4 ft (1.2 m) of water in its lobby.

[24] One house burned down in Glenwood, a community between DeLeon Springs and DeLand, after the owner forgot to extinguish a kerosene lantern before falling asleep.

In western Volusia County, one dwelling was destroyed and twenty-nine suffered major impact, while one hundred twenty-seven homes experienced minor damage.

[14] In Seminole County, wind damage was mainly limited a to downed power lines, electrical poles, and trees, some of which fell on homes and blocked streets, particularly in Altamonte Springs, Geneva, and Sanford.

[42] Two deaths occurred on September 9 when a helicopter being evacuated from the storm crashed near Sanford, killing two Navy personnel.

[14] Farther south, storm surge and above normal tides caused the loss of about 10 to 12 ft (3.0 to 3.7 m) of sand in Fort Pierce.

In North Carolina, heavy rainfall in the northeastern portions of the state left a beachfront highway inaccessible for about 48 hours and caused water damage in several coastal homes.

One indirect death occurred there due to a person suffering a heart attack while attempting to secure a boat[50] Flooding in the Buckroe Beach neighborhood of Hampton, causing about 40 residents to evacuate to Kecoughtan High School, while winds downed trees and power lines.

[51] On Assateague Island, which is split between Virginia and Maryland, steady rainfall for approximately 36 hours left about 2 ft (0.61 m) of water on intersections at lower elevations.