TORNADOES MAP · REFERENCE
Fujita & Enhanced Fujita Tornado Ratings
Understand F0–F5 and EF0–EF5 tornado ratings, damage surveys, estimated winds, and the change in scales in February 2007.
Damage first, estimated winds second
A tornado rating describes the most intense damage identified in a survey. The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale uses damage indicators and degrees of damage to estimate the winds that caused it. These are estimated three-second gusts, not direct wind measurements.
| EF rating | Estimated gust (mph) | Possible damage |
|---|---|---|
| EF0 | 65–85 | Roof covering and small branches may be damaged. |
| EF1 | 86–110 | Roofs can lose more covering; manufactured homes may overturn. |
| EF2 | 111–135 | Houses may lose roofs; large trees can snap or uproot. |
| EF3 | 136–165 | Entire stories of well-built houses may be destroyed. |
| EF4 | 166–200 | Well-built houses can be leveled; vehicles may be thrown. |
| EF5 | Over 200 | Strongly built houses can be swept away; severe structural destruction occurs. |
Source: National Weather Service EF scale. The wind ranges above apply to EF ratings only. Examples are summarized from the NWS tornado effects guide and do not assign a rating to an individual object.
How damage becomes a rating
A missing roof is evidence to investigate, not a rating by itself. Surveyors identify the structure, compare the damage with an applicable indicator, and assess how well it was built. A weak connection can fail at a lower wind speed than a sound one. The NWS damage-survey explanation shows why construction changes the estimate.
A framed house and a manufactured home use different damage indicators.
Record what failed and what remains, such as roof loss with walls standing.
Anchoring and build quality help constrain the estimated wind range.
Conceptual drawings, not a damage-rating checklist. A final survey considers evidence at multiple locations. Source: NWS Amarillo.
Why a rating cannot describe every point on the path
The event label reflects the highest supported intensity in the survey. It does not imply the same damage everywhere. A tornado over open land may also leave too few suitable indicators to establish its full intensity. NWS rating guidance explains the use of multiple damage indicators.
To connect ratings with impacts, read what tornadoes damage. To inspect the archive, view F4/F5 and EF4/EF5 records; the filter combines rating numbers while retaining each record's original scale.
F versus EF: why older records keep their labels
The EF scale became operational in the United States on February 1, 2007. Earlier records use the original Fujita (F) scale. This map keeps those original labels: F3 in an older year, EF3 after the transition. It does not apply modern EF wind ranges to historical F ratings.
Unrated does not mean harmless
A tornado may lack enough damage evidence for a rating. Unknown values remain “Unrated” on the map. We never convert an unknown rating into a zero or infer wind speed from path length or width.