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Threats & Emergencies  

Tornadoes

Tornado Home • Tornado Basics • Preparing for Tornadoes • Responding to Tornadoes

Tornado Basics

The Enahnced Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity

In February 2007, the National Weather Service adopted the Enhanced Fujita scale to measure tornadoes. The EF scale replaces the original Fujita scale that led to inconsistent tornado ratings due to a lack of damage indicators, no account of construction quality and variability, and no definitive correlation between damage and wind speed. For example, a weak structure combined with a slow-moving storm could lead to a tornado’s rating being higher than it should be. The EF scale accounts for these and other variables for a more accurate measurement.

It is important to remember that any tornado is potentially dangerous, and that a tornado’s strength can only be determined after it has dissipated. Therefore, it is essential that every tornado be met with every safety precaution.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale

EF0:    Light damage
65-85 mph. Peels surface off some roofs; some damage to gutters or siding; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF1:    Moderate damage
86-110 mph. Light damage. Roofs severely stripped; mobile homes overturned or badly damaged; loss of exterior doors; windows and other glass broken.
EF2:    Considerable damage
111-135 mph. Roofs torn off well-constructed houses; foundations of frame homes shifted; mobile homes completely destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground.
EF3:    Severe damage
136-165 mph. Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance.
EF4:    Devastating damage
166-200 mph. Well-constructed houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated.
EF5:    Incredible damage
>200 mph. Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 m (109 yd); high-rise buildings have significant structural deformation; incredible phenomena will occur.