Maximum winds for F5 tornadoes were estimated to be between 261 mph (420 km/h) and 318 mph (512 km/h). Winds of an EF5 tornado were predicted to reach in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) when building design and structural integrity were taken into account. The Enhanced Fujita scale is most commonly used in North America. It extends wind speeds measured by weather stations to estimates for extreme storms that can cause damage across large areas.
The deadliest tornado on record was the Tri-State Tornado, which killed over 600 people in three states: Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. It started as an F3 tornado and grew stronger as it moved eastward, becoming an F5 before ending its life near Peoria, Illinois.
Other deadly tornadoes have been recorded around the world. In 1953, nearly all of Russia was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters of modern times when an F5 tornado struck Vladivostok killing 7,000 people. In 1999, an F5 tornado also touched down in Russia's Far East killing 38 people.
F5 tornadoes are extremely dangerous because they can destroy buildings based on their strength rather than their location. An F5 tornado with winds exceeding 200 miles per hour could level a city block into small pieces within a few seconds. Such a storm would also be capable of obliterating any vehicle on the ground.
Tornadoes with winds of less than 73 miles per hour are classified as F0–F0 (mph). They wreak havoc on chimneys and trees. Tornadoes rated F1-F1 are considered moderate. F5-F5 tornadoes are extremely powerful, with wind speeds ranging from 261 mph to 318 mph. These monsters can cause catastrophic damage over a large area. An F4 or F5 tornado that crosses paved surface will often leave a marked path in its wake.
An F0 tornado has no definable core. It may have a well-defined edge but not much else. F0 tornadoes usually do little damage and kill few people. They can be difficult to see because they do not bring with them any clear signature on weather radar.
An F5 tornado has a well-defined core and strong winds associated with it. It would also likely have heavy rain and hail associated with it. F5 tornadoes are the most dangerous type of tornado due to their power and potential to destroy entire neighborhoods. Although these storms rarely strike populated areas, when they do they can cause immense loss of life with high levels of injury and property damage.
An F4 tornado has a defined core but may not have strong winds associated with it. F4 tornadoes can be very destructive as they travel across wide open spaces where there are no obstacles to block their path. These storms usually cause many injuries and fatalities.
Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have been officially classified as F5/EF5: 59 in the United States and one each in France, Russia, and Canada. This is a record high for tornado intensity. A total of 14 people were killed by these 62 tornadoes.
The most intense tornado on record was an F5 that struck portions of Smithville, Texas on May 20, 1974. It was approximately 10 miles (16 km) east-southeast of downtown Dallas. The storm's path of destruction was about 2 miles (3.2 km) wide and extended for nearly 20 miles (32 km). In addition, the tornado was on the ground for nearly three hours. At least 13 people died and over 100 were injured.
An F5 tornado is defined as being equal to or greater than EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. An EF5 tornado has wind speeds of at least 233 mph (374 kph). These are the strongest storms in terms of magnitude, frequency, and mortality rate. They occur once every few years and can be expected by some scientists who study tornado behavior. Others believe they are much less common than previously thought.
An F4 tornado is defined as having winds between 161 and 233 mph (260 and 374 kph).
Fujita Scale
| F-Scale Number | Intensity Phrase | Wind Speed |
|---|---|---|
| F0 | Gale tornado | 40-72 mph |
| F3 | Severe tornado | 158-206 mph |
| F4 | Devastating tornado | 207-260 mph |
| F5 | Incredible tornado | 261-318 mph |
On the original Fujita scale, there is no F-6, and on the current Enhanced Fujita scale, there is nothing beyond EF-5. Any tornado that is too destructive to be classified as an F-4 or EF-4 is classed as an F-5 or EF-5, regardless of how severely it exceeds the F-4 or EF-4 definitional restrictions. An example of such a tornado would be the F-5 tornado that hit Greensburg, Indiana, on April 27, 1950. The storm was estimated to be 1.5 miles in diameter at its peak, which would make it over 100 feet high according to some sources. The tornado killed 158 people and injured more than 1000 others.
The highest rating on the Fujita scale is EF-5. There are two categories at this level: strong tornadoes and violent tornadoes. A strong tornado is defined as one that is able to destroy a well-built house while a violent tornado is defined as one that is strong enough to cause severe damage or destruction even after moving through uninhabited areas. An example of a strong tornado would be the F-5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011. This tornado was estimated to be 2 miles in diameter at its peak, which would make it over 200 feet high. The tornado caused 231 deaths and over $1 billion in damages.
An example of a violent tornado is the F-6 tornado that struck Woodward, Oklahoma, on May 20, 1999.
Fujita Scale
| The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity | ||
|---|---|---|
| F-Scale Number | Intensity Phrase | Wind Speed |
| F3 | Severe tornado | 158-206 mph |
| F4 | Devastating tornado | 207-260 mph |
| F5 | Incredible tornado | 261-318 mph |
The National Weather Service commonly refers to the two strongest categories as "severe tornadoes," EF4 (peak winds of 166-200 mph) or EF5 (greater than 200 mph). The EF5 tornado in Joplin killed 158 people, making it the deadliest tornado in the United States in more than 60 years. It also caused more damage than any other tornado in history.
An EF5 can destroy buildings without even entering them. All that's needed is for the wind to be strong enough. An EF5 can also lift large objects like trees and light poles off the ground. These huge storms are difficult to predict but not impossible. In fact, scientists have documented tornadoes forming from almost no clouds in the sky - just open air with very low pressure systems moving across the region.
An EF5 can happen in a matter of minutes and cover a wide area. The deadly storm moved through Joplin over an eight-block region. That's a lot of destruction in a small space. After the Joplin tornado, researchers looked at all the U.S. tornadoes between 1950 and 2004 and found that nearly one in five (19 percent) were rated EF5. This means that about 8 out of 50 tornadoes are capable of killing you.
The most dangerous part of an EF5 is its rapid movement and extreme nature.
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