Skip to player
Skip to main content
Skip to footer
Search
Connect
Watch fullscreen
Like
Comments
Bookmark
Share
Add to Playlist
Report
What is the Fujita scale of rating tornadoes?
AccuWeather
Follow
3/27/2025
AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Laubach goes into the history of the Fujita scale of rating tornadoes and the upgraded scale derived from it.
Category
🗞
News
Transcript
Display full video transcript
00:00
Whoever's stairs get kicked out of them, I know that.
00:04
The strength of a tornado cannot be determined just by looking at it, and they can destroy
00:08
just about any unprotected weather instrument placed in their path, making obtaining accurate
00:12
wind speed measurements very difficult.
00:15
Mobile Doppler radar has led to better wind speed measurements in recent years, but that
00:19
is only a very small sample size compared to the total number of tornadoes recorded.
00:23
The only consistent measurement with tornadoes is their aftermath.
00:27
After writing a research paper in college, Dr. Theodore Fujita introduced the Fujita
00:31
Scale in 1971, revealing how tornadoes rank in terms of damage.
00:36
The scale was designed to categorize tornadoes based on intensity of damage, and to estimate
00:40
wind speed based on the damage left behind.
00:42
The Fujita Scale ranked tornadoes anywhere from F0, meaning the wind speeds are less
00:46
than 73 mph with minor damage, all the way to F5, with wind speeds greater than 261 mph
00:53
with an immense amount of damage.
00:55
In 2007, the Enhanced Fujita Scale replaced the Fujita Scale.
00:59
This updated version reflected more accurate tornado damage surveys, and aligned wind speed
01:03
estimates more closely with the actual destruction observed.
01:07
The EF Scale ranges from EF0, indicating minor damage, to EF5, representing total devastation.
01:13
The new scale focuses on how various structures are designed, examining specific points known
01:18
as damage indicators to better estimate the wind speeds required to cause that type of
01:22
damage.
01:23
However, one limitation of the EF Scale is that the tornado must cause a specific level
01:28
of damage to be rated.
01:29
Many powerful tornadoes occur in rural or unpopulated areas, meaning they often receive
01:34
lower ratings because they don't affect buildings or structures that would provide clear evidence
01:38
of their strength.
01:39
For AccuWeather, I'm meteorologist Tony Laubach.
Recommended
1:28
|
Up next
Toronto Blue Jays' Tax Strategy with Anthony Santander Explained
SportsGrid
today
1:25
EU and Ukraine strike less ambitious but 'realistic' trade deal
euronews (in English)
today
3:58
Large tornado touches down in northern Texas
AccuWeather
6/6/2025
1:36
This is what it's like to chase a destructive tornado
AccuWeather
4/21/2023
1:52
What's the difference between a tornado watch, warning and emergency?
AccuWeather
5/18/2025
3:01
Storm chaser captures tornado forming live on AccuWeather
AccuWeather
8/9/2023
1:37
Twin tornadoes tear through Colorado fields
AccuWeather
6/22/2023
1:54
Where are the best places to seek shelter during a tornado?
AccuWeather
3/3/2025
0:37
Tornado spotted spinning through North Texas
AccuWeather
11/4/2022
1:02
Evening tornado sweeps through Nebraska
AccuWeather
5/18/2025
2:29
Severe storms, tornado threat in the south
AccuWeather
1/3/2023
1:32
What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
AccuWeather
3/30/2023
0:46
Large tornado hits Grainfield, Kansas, US
Newsflare
11/17/2015
0:30
Terrifying footage shows large tornado in St. Augustine, Florida
SWNS
4/12/2024
0:37
Shocking moment 30-metre-high tornado rises from the ground
SWNS
4/22/2024
1:52
How can you tell the difference between different kinds of wind gusts?
AccuWeather
3/17/2025
2:18
Take a look inside an intense tornado chase in Colorado
AccuWeather
8/9/2023
20:00
Inside the storm: What it's like to report on hurricanes and tornadoes
AccuWeather
9/30/2024
2:18
Why the number of confirmed tornadoes from April 26-28 will likely rise
AccuWeather
5/1/2024
1:20
Where is tornado alley and why does it exist?
Met Office
12/10/2022
2:20
Tornadoes reported in Illinois as severe storms blow across the Midwest
AccuWeather
3/19/2025
2:14
What is the AccuWeather RealImpactâ„¢ Scale for Hurricanes?
AccuWeather
6/2/2022
1:43
Tornadoes come in all shapes and sizes
AccuWeather
6/12/2025
2:30
10 Deadliest Tornadoes In U.S. History
Newsweek
6/25/2019
1:19
Massive tornado forms in Oklahoma
AccuWeather
4/20/2023