Fujita-Scale

Mean Wind
Speed Range* (mph)

Qualitative damage description

F0

40 to 72
(45 – 78)

Light damage – some damage to chimneys and TV antennae; breaks twigs off trees; pushes over shallow rooted trees.

F1

73 to 112
 (80–118)

Moderate damage – peels surface off roots; windows broken; light trailer houses pushed or overturned; some trees uprooted or snapped; moving automobiles pushed off the road. 73 mph is the beginning of hurricane wind speed.

F2

113 to 157
(119–161)

Considerable damage – roofs torn off frame houses leaving strong upright walls; weak buildings in rural areas demolished; trailer houses destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; railroad boxcars pushed over; light object missiles generated; cars blown off highway.

F3

158 to 206
(162-209)

Severe damage – roofs and some walls torn off frame houses; some rural buildings completely demolished; trains overturned; steel-framed hangar-warehouse type structures torn; cars lifted off the ground; most trees in a forest uprooted, snapped or leveled.

F4

207 to 260
(210-261)

Devastating damage – whole frame houses leveled, leaving piles of debris; steel structures badly damaged; trees debarked by small flying debris; cars and trains thrown some distances or rolled considerable distances; large missiles generated.

F5

261 to 318
(262-317)

Incredible damage – whole frame houses tossed off foundations; steel-reinforced concrete structures badly damaged; automobile-sized missiles generated; incredible phenomena can occur.

F6-F12

319 to sonic speed

Inconceivable damage – should a tornado with the maximum wind speed in excess of F6 occur, the extent and types of damage may not be conceived. A number of missiles such as ice boxes, water heaters, storage tanks, automobiles etc will create serious secondary damage on structures.