What is the Fujita Scale for Tornadoes?

The Fujita Scale, named for Dr. Ted Fujita, is a chart used to measure the strength and damage caused by tornadoes. Historically it has been very difficult to measure wind speeds created by a tornado, so Dr. Fujita created a chart that was based on the amount of damage caused by a tornado instead of wind speeds. Technology is catching up, however, and more accurate wind speed estimates can be guaged for tornadoes. The Fujita chart, although only a general classification of strength, serves as a good starting place for rating tornadoes.

FUJITA SCALE
SCALE CATEGORY MPH KNOTS DAMAGE
F0 Weak 40-72 35-62 Light: tree branches broken sign boards damaged.
F1 Weak 73-112 63-97 Moderate: trees snapped, windows broken.
F2 Strong 113-157 98-136 Considerable: large trees uprooted, weak structures destroyed.
F3 Strong 158-206 137-179 Severe: trees leveled, cars overturned, walls removed from buildings.
F4 Violent 207-260 180-226 Devastating: frame house destroyed.
F5 Violent 261-318 227-276 Incredible: structures the sized of autos moved over 100m, steel-reinforced structures highly damaged.


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