The Fujita Scale
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:16 pm
The Fujita Scale (F scale F0-F6)
<F0 - Gale tornado - 40-72 mph>
Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages sign boards.
<F1 - Moderate tornado - 73-112 mph>
The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be destroyed.
<F2 - Significant tornado - 113-157 mph>
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated.
<F3 - Severe tornado - 158-206 mph>
Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in fores uprooted
<F4 - Devastating tornado - 207-260 mph>
Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
<F5 - Incredible tornado - 261-318 mph>
Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged.
<F6 - Inconceivable tornado - 319-379 mph>
These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved, evidence for it might only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies
(Click here for more details)
Up above I have posted, as you can see, the Fujita scale F0-F6. Many of you may never have heard of the F6. I used to joke about an F6 existing and even though one has never been "recorded" it is in the Fujita scale. Now many of you know of the Fujita scale. I post this because the Fujita scale was meant to categorize tornado damage and estimate wind speed. Well I think it would be nice if they kept the scale but also had two other scales. The two scales that I'm thinking of would probably be labeled DF0-DF6 (Damage Categorization) and WF0-WF6 (Wind speed Categorization). Why you ask, because with the Fujita scale the Tornado is categorized strictly on it's damage and only estimates the wind speed. So in reality a tornado could cause minimal damage but in actuality have had F2 winds, most likely it would be categorized as an F0-F1. Another scenario is a weak F1 could hit a poorly constructed but populated town; it might be categorized as either an F2 or F3. So I think it would be helpful if we had the Fujita scale and the two others that I mentioned (BTW I made those up).
If anyone has any info that they'd like to share either about the Fujita scale or other less known scales please do.
Thoughts and comments on this are very much welcomed.
<F0 - Gale tornado - 40-72 mph>
Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages sign boards.
<F1 - Moderate tornado - 73-112 mph>
The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be destroyed.
<F2 - Significant tornado - 113-157 mph>
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated.
<F3 - Severe tornado - 158-206 mph>
Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in fores uprooted
<F4 - Devastating tornado - 207-260 mph>
Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
<F5 - Incredible tornado - 261-318 mph>
Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged.
<F6 - Inconceivable tornado - 319-379 mph>
These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved, evidence for it might only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies
(Click here for more details)
Up above I have posted, as you can see, the Fujita scale F0-F6. Many of you may never have heard of the F6. I used to joke about an F6 existing and even though one has never been "recorded" it is in the Fujita scale. Now many of you know of the Fujita scale. I post this because the Fujita scale was meant to categorize tornado damage and estimate wind speed. Well I think it would be nice if they kept the scale but also had two other scales. The two scales that I'm thinking of would probably be labeled DF0-DF6 (Damage Categorization) and WF0-WF6 (Wind speed Categorization). Why you ask, because with the Fujita scale the Tornado is categorized strictly on it's damage and only estimates the wind speed. So in reality a tornado could cause minimal damage but in actuality have had F2 winds, most likely it would be categorized as an F0-F1. Another scenario is a weak F1 could hit a poorly constructed but populated town; it might be categorized as either an F2 or F3. So I think it would be helpful if we had the Fujita scale and the two others that I mentioned (BTW I made those up).
If anyone has any info that they'd like to share either about the Fujita scale or other less known scales please do.
Thoughts and comments on this are very much welcomed.