Tropical Storm Doria dropped heavy precipitation in New Jersey, peaking at 10.29 inches (261 mm) in Little Falls.

The depression moved to the north of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas, and began to show further signs of organization on August 25.

[2] After reaching tropical storm status, Doria quickly intensified as its wind field expanded while moving northward.

The minimum central pressure quickly dropped, as well, and late on August 27, Doria reached its peak intensity of 65 mph (105 km/h) while making landfall on North Carolina near Morehead City.

Doria turned to the northeast, passing through the Chesapeake Bay and Delmarva Peninsula before entering southern New Jersey.

It paralleled the state a short distance inland, and after moving through New York City Doria became extratropical over northwestern Maine on August 29.

[2] Upon making landfall in North Carolina, Doria produced a storm tide of 2 feet (0.61 m) above normal at Cape Fear.

Tropical Storm Doria dropped moderate rainfall across the state, including a report of 4.17 inches (106 mm) in Cape Hatteras.

[2] The bands of the storm spawned an F1 tornado near Portsmouth and Chesapeake, damaging twelve homes and downing hundreds of trees.

In Pennsylvania, the passage of Tropical Storm Doria resulted in 6.57 inches (167 mm) of rain and peak wind gusts of 73 mph (117 km/h) in Philadelphia.

[6] In New Jersey, Doria produced wind gusts of up to 54 mph (87 km/h) and storm tides 5.3 feet (1.6 m) above normal in Atlantic City.

[14] The heavy rainfall overtopped the levee system in Zarephath,[15] causing severe damage to the Alma White College and preventing it from opening in the fall of 1971.

[10] In Connecticut, Doria produced up to 3.12 inches (79 mm) of rain and wind gusts peaking at 48 mph (77 km/h) in Hartford.

In Boston, rainfall totaled to 0.83 inches (21 mm),[2] while wind gusts peaked at 80 mph (130 km/h) at the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory.

[24] The center of Tropical Storm Doria passed over south-central New Hampshire, resulting in heavy rains and damaging winds.

[22] Moisture from Tropical Storm Doria entered southeastern Canada, peaking at over 3 inches (76 mm) in the Montérégie region of Quebec.

In early September 1971, President Richard Nixon declared counties in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania as disaster areas due to heavy rains and flooding.