The Fujita Scale is used to rate the intensity of a tornado
Fujita Scale
by examining the damage caused by the tornado after it
has passed over a man-made structure.
Level of
IntensityWind Speed
Description of Damage
F-0
Gale
Tornado 40-72 mph
Some damage to chimneys; breaks
branches off trees; pushes over
shallow-rooted trees; damages sign
boards.
F-1
Moderate
Tornado73-112 mph
The lower limit is the beginning of
hurricane wind speed; peels surface
off roofs; mobile homes pushed off
foundations or overturned; moving
autos pushed off the roads;
attached garages may be destroyed.
F-2
Significant
Tornado113-157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn
off frame houses; mobile homes
demolished; boxcars pushed over;
large trees snapped or uprooted;
light object missiles generated.
F-3
Severe
Tornado158-206 mph
Roof and some walls torn off well
constructed houses; trains
overturned; most trees in forest
uprooted
F-4
Devastating
Tornado207-260 mph
Well-constructed houses leveled;
structures with weak foundations
blown off some distance; cars
thrown and large missiles
generated.
F-5
Incredible
Tornado261-318 mph
Strong frame houses lifted off
foundations and carried
considerable distances to
disintegrate; automobile sized
missiles fly through the air in
excess of 100 meters; trees
debarked; steel re-inforced
concrete structures badly damaged.
F-6
Inconceivable
Tornado319-379 mph
These winds are very unlikely.
The small area of damage they might
produce would probably not be recognizable
along with the mess produced by F4 and F5
wind that would surround the F6 winds.
Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators
would do serious secondary damage that
could not be directly identified as
F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved,
evidence for it might only be found
in some manner of ground swirl pattern,
for it may never be identifiable
through engineering studies.
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