The Fujita scale

Storm Data, Jan, 2005 by Thomas R. Karl

The Fujita Scale

F-Scale     Intensity     Wind Speed      Typical Damage (Suggested)
                            (mph)

  F0      Gale Tornado      40-72      Tree branches broken, chimneys
                                       damaged, shallow-rooted trees
                                       pushed over; sign boards damaged
                                       or destroyed, outbuildings and
                                       sheds destroyed
  F1        Moderate       73 - 112    Roof surfaces peeled off, mobile
                                       homes pushed off foundations or
                                       overturned, moving autos pushed
                                       off the roads, garages may be
                                       destroyed.

                                       Category 1-2 hurricane wind
                                       speed

  F2       Significant    113 - 157    Roofs blown off frame houses;
                                       mobile homes rolled and/or
                                       destroyed, train boxcars pushed
                                       over; large trees snapped or
                                       uprooted; airborn debris can
                                       cause damage.

                                       Category 3-4 hurricane wind
                                       speed

  F3         Severe        158-206     Roofs and walls torn off well
                                       constructed houses; trains
                                       overturned; large trees
                                       uprooted, can knock down entire
                                       forest of trees.

                                       Category 5 hurricane wind speed

  F4       Devastating     207-260     Well-constructed frame houses
                                       leveled; structures with weak
                                       foundations blown off some
                                       distance; automobiles thrown,
                                       large airborn objects can cause
                                       significant damage.
  F5       Incredible      261 -318    Brick, stone and cinderblock
                                       buildings destroyed, most debris
                                       is carried away by tornadic
                                       winds, large and heavy objects
                                       can be hurled in excess of 100
                                       meters, trees debarked, asphalt
                                       peeled off of roads, steel
                                       reinforced concrete structures
                                       badly damaged.
  F6      Inconceivable    319-379     These winds are very unlikely.
                                       The small area of damage they
                                       might produce would probably not
                                       be recognizable along with the
                                       damage produced by F4 and F5
                                       wind speeds that would surround
                                       the F6 winds.

Typical F0 Tornado Damage

Note the trees are stripped of leaves, but the trees remain standing. Only light roof damage and a few missing shingles.

Typical F1 Tornado Damage

Note the uprooted trees and missing shingles from the roof. There is significant roof damage.

Typical F2 Tornado Damage

This home is missing it's entire roof but the exterior walls remain intact. Some of the stronger hardwood trees remain standing.

Typical F4 Tornado Damage

This home is almost completely obliterated, with no walls standing. The debris from the home is where the house once stood.

Typical F5 Tornado Damage

The asphalt surface has been peeled off of this road.

Typical F3 Tornado Damage

This home is missing the entire roof as well as some of the exterior walls. Trees are blown over or snapped near the base and outbuildings are destroyed.

Typical F5 Tornado Damage

These homes have been completely removed from their original locations. The debris field has been scattered some distance from their foundation.

(All photographs courtesy of Brian Smith, Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Valley NE.)