How are tornados categorized?

How are tornados rated?

Written by Samantha C Sinclair on April 11 2024

Main source
Weather.gov

In 1971 T. Theodore Fujita created the Fujita Scale. This scale was to make determinations based on damage and estimated wind speed how strong of a tornado occurred.
Due to its limitations it’s believed in some cases tornados could have been rated incorrectly. In 2001 efforts began to create what is now known as the enhanced Fujita Scale. With the team work of multiple sources, the EF Scale was put into use.

The project of creating the EF Scale included wind, engineers, universities, government agencies, renowned, meteorologists, and national weather service meteorologist from around the country. There were several other sources as well.

The updated version brings several enhancements. Some of these include the following.
• More damage indicators
• Degrees of damage
• Updates to wind speed ranges for each tornado category
• More taken in to account when wind speeds are in determination
• There are 28 indicators used with the EF Scale. Some include building type, trees, and structures.
• For each damage indicator, there are eight degrees of damage. These are a range from visible damage, to complete.

At the bottom of the Fujita Scale originally was an F0, and that has been updated to an EF0 on the enhanced. Original wind speed range for an F0 ranged from 45 to 78. Now on the Enhanced Fujita Scale wind range for an EF0 are speeds of 65 to 85.
At the top of the scale is what was originally known as an F5. Now known as an EF5, these are certain to have massive destruction in their path. Original wind speed on the F Scale ranged from 262 to 317. On the Enhanced Fujita Scale, wind speeds for an EF5 are greater than 200.

To learn more, visit Weather.gov.