Damage from the storm was primarily insignificant and limited to gusty winds, heavy rainfall, and high tides; however, a fishing boat capsized in the Bahamas, resulting in the deaths of four people.

Dottie originated in an area of low pressure that formed on August 17, about 150 mi (240 km) northwest of Key West, Florida.

The center of the disturbance soon began to consolidate while barometric pressure fell 8 mbar in 24 hours;[1] it was declared a tropical depression at 0000 UTC on August 18.

[5] Prior to being upgraded to a tropical storm, the depression spawned heavy precipitation and high winds throughout southern Florida and portions of the Bahamas.

The heavy rainfall caused street flooding across the region, especially in the Broward County cities of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lauderhill, Miramar, and Tamarac.

The winds downed trees,[8] and left roughly 20 neighborhoods in southern Florida without power during the passage of Dottie.