Surveying The Damage
Unlike a hurricane, the strength of a tornado is measured AFTER it does damage. Meteorologist will conduct storm surveys after a tornado has passed through a location, looking at the damage but also noting the start and end points of the tornado’s path, and the width of the tornado’s damage along with the length of it’s path. The scale of used to describe the damage is known as the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
| EF Rating | Wind Speeds | Expected Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF-0 | 65-85 mph | Minor damage: shingles blown off or parts of a roof peeled off, damage to gutters/siding, branches broken off trees, shallow rooted trees toppled. |  |
| EF-1 | 86-110 mph | Moderate damage: more significant roof damage, windows broken, exterior doors damaged or lost, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged. |  |
| EF-2 | 111-135 mph | Considerable damage: roofs torn off well constructed homes, homes shifted off their foundation, mobile homes completely destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars can be tossed. |  |
| EF-3 | 136-165 mph | Severe damage: entire stories of well constructed homes destroyed, significant damage done to large buildings, homes with weak foundations can be blown away, trees begin to lose their bark. |  |
| EF-4 | 166-200 mph | Extreme damage: Well constructed homes are leveled, cars are thrown significant distances, top story exterior walls of masonry buildings would likely collapse. |  |
| EF-5 | >200 mph | Massive/incredible damage: Well constructed homes are swept away, steel-reinforced concrete structures are critically damaged, high-rise buildings sustain severe structural damage, trees are usually completely debarked, stripped of branches and snapped. |  |