A new era for tornado intensities...

[CrazyC83]

The Enhanced Fujita scale goes into effect today. It will sure be different hearing "EFx" rather than "Fx" for tornadoes...

[HurricaneBill]

I wonder if we'll see an EF5 this year.

[CrazyC83]

I wonder if we'll see an EF5 this year.

We might have had it this morning.

[ohiostorm]

What is the new scale?

[Calasanjy]

I am wondering, however, if the general public will recognize the term "EFx" (eg. EF-2, EF-5) or if they will continue referring to a tornado as simply an "F5". I think the "F" classification is so ingrained into the psyches of the American populace, especially Tornado Alley residents and tornado chasers, for them to embrace the more cumbersome "EFx" phrase.

What I'm trying to say is that the Enhanced Fujita scale will be in use, but most people will continue referring to an EF-4 tornado as "F4". I think that placing an extra letter in front of the classification detracts from some of the sheer magnitude of saying, for example, "The National Weather Service declared last evening's devastating tornado near Lincoln a monstrous F5." What if in 2032 the NWS determines the EF scale to be insufficient and replaces it with a new scale called the "Precision-Based Windspeed Enhanced Fujita Scale," still recognizing Ted Fujita's contribution to tornado analysis but emphasizing the precision of the new scale? Can you envision the newscasters announcing that a "PBWEF-4" twister raked metro Dallas the previous day?