THE FUJITA TORNADO DAMAGE
SCALE
(F-SCALE)
F0 (40 - 74 mph)
Light Damage
Some damage to chimneys; break branches off trees; push over shallow
rooted trees or down rotten trees; damage to signs and billboards;
light-weight awnings and canopies damaged.
F1 (75-112 mph) Moderate
Damage
Peel surface off roofs (large sections of shingles removed from roof
corners and eaves); home chimneys collasped; mobile home pushed off
foundations or overturned; moving automobiles pushed off road; windows
broken by flying debris.
F2 (113-157 mph) Significant
Damage
Sections of roof and porches damaged, especially if inadequately
anchored; large sections of gabled roofs may be torn off on leeward
side; car port roofs lifted; extensive damage to garage roofs, if door
is on windward side; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large
trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missles generated.
F3 (158-206 MPH) Severe
Damage
Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains
overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the
ground and thrown a sizeable distance.
F4 (207-260 mph) Devastating
Damage
Well constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown
some distance; cars thrown and large missles generated.
F5 (261 and greater) Incredible
Damage
Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable
distance to disintegrate; automobile-sized missles fly through the air
for hundreds of yards; trees debarked.
|