A tornado is a violent storm with whirling winds up to 300 miles per hour. It appears as a rotating funnel-shaped cloud, from gray to black in color, which extends toward the ground from the base of a thundercloud.
Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can uproot trees and buildings and turn harmless objects into deadly missiles in a matter of seconds.
These short-lived storms are the most violent of all atmospheric phenomena and, over a small area, are the most destructive. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long.
Tornadoes frequently accompany the advance of hurricanes.
Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale
|
F-0
|
40-72 mph |
Light Damage |
- Some damage to chimneys
- Breaks the branches off trees and pushes over shallow-rooted trees
- Damages sign boards
|
| F-1 |
73-112 mph |
Moderate damage |
- Peels the surface off roofs
- Pushes mobile homes off their foundations and can turn them upside-down
- Pushes moving cars off road
|
| F-2 |
113-157 mph |
Considerable Damage |
- Tears the roof from frame houses
- Demolishes mobile homes
- Snaps and uproots large trees
- Generates light-object missiles.
|
| F-3 |
158-205 mph |
Severe Damage |
- Tears off roofs and walls of well-constructed houses
- Overturns trains
- Uproots most trees
- Lifts heavy cars off the ground.
|
| F-4 |
207-260 mph
|
Devastating Damage
|
- Levels well-constructed houses
- Structures with weak foundations are blown off
- Cars thrown
- Generates large missiles
|
| f-5 |
261-318 mph |
Incredible Damage
|
- Strong frame houses are lifted off their foundations and carried considerable distance before disintegrating
- Automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 yards
- Rips bark from trees
|
