✔ More realistic wind–damage relationship than the original F-scale ✔ Accounts for construction quality ✔ Standardized surveys (engineers + meteorologists) ✔ Helps link radar-estimated winds to actual ground damage
Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale to rate tornado intensity. It replaced the original F-Scale (1971) to better align wind speeds with specific types of structural damage. NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory +1 Rating Wind Speed (mph) Damage Severity Typical Indicators EF0 65–85 Light Broken branches; some roof shingles peeled off. EF1 86–110 Moderate Mobile homes overturned; moving cars pushed off roads. EF2 111–135 Considerable Roofs torn off frame houses; large trees uprooted. EF3 136–165 Severe Entire stories of well-built houses destroyed. EF4 166–200 Devastating Houses completely leveled; cars thrown as large missiles. EF5 >200 Incredible Strong frame houses swept away; steel-reinforced concrete damaged. The Forensic Rating Process To assign an official rating, NWS survey teams analyze two primary factors: Damage Indicators (DIs): There are rating tornadoes
The Tornado Severity Analysis feature provides users with a streamlined, accurate interface for determining the rating of a tornado based on damage indicators or doppler radar estimates. The system utilizes the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale standards to generate actionable data for meteorologists, emergency responders, and weather enthusiasts. EF1 86–110 Moderate Mobile homes overturned; moving cars