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Tornadoes: The Most Deadly Natural Occurrence Text Only Page 3
The Fujita Scale
Professor Fujita and Dr. Allen Pearson invented the Fujita Scale, (also known as the Fujita Pearson scale). It rates the amount of destruction a tornado causes to buildings, after a tornado has passed. It also measures the path width and length of the tornado.
Table 1 The Fujita Scale
| F-Scale Number | Intensity Phrase | Wind Speed M.P.H. | Type Of Damage Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | Gale Tornado | 40 - 72 M.P.H. | - Some damage to chimneys - Snaps off small trees - Damages signboards |
| F1 | Moderate Tornado | 73 - 112 M.P.H. | - The lower limit is the beginning of a hurricane - Peels surfaces of roofs - Mobile homes pushed over - Moving cars pushed off the road - Large trees snapped, or up rooted - Attached garages are destroyed |
| F2 | Significant Tornado | 113 - 157 M.P.H. | - Considerable damage - Roofs torn off frame - Mobile homes demolished - Box cars pushed over - Large trees snapped up or up rooted - Light objects become missles |
| F3 | Severe Tornado | 158 - 206 M.P.H. | - Roof and some walls torn off well-constructed houses - Trains over turned - Most trees in the forest are up rooted |
| F4 | Devastating Tornado | 207 - 260 M.P.H. | - Well-constructed houses levelled - Structures with weak foundations, blown off some distance - Cars thrown a long distance - Large objects become missles |
| F5 | Incredible Tornado | 261 - 318 M.P.H. | - Strong framed houses lifted off of foundations, and carried off - Car sized missles fly further than 100 metres - Tree debarked - Steel reinforced concrete structures badly damaged |
| F6 | Inconceivable Tornado | 319 - 379 M.P.H. | - UNRECOGNIZABLE AREA - These are very unlikely winds. Though if they did happen all you would see is a lot of debris and perhaps a swirl patten in the ground. It might also not be able to be measured by engineering studies. |
