The Fujita Scale

Storm Data, Feb, 2006

The Fujita Scale

F-Scale   Intensity       Wind      Typical Damage (Suggested)
                          Speed
                          (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 F3 Tornado Damage

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

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

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

Typical F5 Tornado Damage

The asphalt surface has been peeled off of this road.

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