As of February 2025, the drought of officially-rated EF5 tornadoes is ongoing, spanning over 4,000 days. [2] The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale is a damage scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage they cause. It is used in some countries, including the United States and France. [7] .

Its uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgment of 8 levels of damage to the 28 indicators listed below. These estimates vary with height and exposure. Important: The 3 second gust is not the same wind as in standard surface observations.

Apr 10, 2020 · The fifth-deadliest F/EF5 tornado was that which destroyed New Richmond, Wisconsin, on June 12, 1899, killing 117. The small town was crowded with people from out of town viewing a circus event.

The old scale lists an F5 tornado as wind speeds of 261–318 mph (420–512 km/h), while the new scale lists an EF5 as a tornado with winds above 200 mph (322 km/h), found to be sufficient to cause the damage previously ascribed to the F5 range of wind speeds.

Aug 29, 2013 · When an EF5 tornado touches down in habited areas, you can surely expect massive amounts of damage. But just because a tornado meets a meteorological definition of an EF5 storm, it doesn’t...

Jan 9, 2025 · When tornado-related damage is surveyed, it is compared to a list of Damage Indicators (DIs) and Degrees of Damage (DoD) which help estimate better the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced. From that, a rating (from EF0 to EF5) is assigned.

The 2013 Moore tornado was a large and violent EF5 tornado that ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, and adjacent areas on the afternoon of May 20, 2013, with peak winds estimated at 210 miles per hour (340 km/h), killing 24 people (plus two indirect fatalities) [2] and injuring 212 others. [3]

Dec 11, 2021 · Tornadoes assigned an EF5/F5 rating have historically been rare, but when they do strike, the damage in the affected communities is devastating.

May 8, 2024 · Based on its damage, each tornado is graded on a tornado scale called the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The scale ranges from the weakest tornadoes at EF0 to the strongest tornadoes at EF5.

Dec 21, 2022 · When it comes to measuring the intensity of tornadoes, you may have seen an "F5 tornado" referenced or an "EF5 tornado." So, what is the difference, or are they essentially the same? Let's take a closer look. The F and the EF reference the Fujita scale and the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF scale).