I am a bit rushed right now; I will try to remember to update the zone later. (I think it is Zone 9b, but Zone 9b here in the arid West is, I am sure, a different situation than Zone 9b in the humid South.)
Given our zone, no, I don't dig and store the dahlias that are in the ground. (I have learned, however, that I cannot leave the potted ones out over winter; that will kill them.)