whats the diff between a….?
Dec 31, 2009
in
Tornado Questions
EF 5 Tornado, and a F5 Tornado. everyone is calling that tornado that hit KS was an EF5. but i thought that was the same thing as a F5. hmmmmmmm?
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2 comments
Virginia C on December 31, 2009 at 6:43 pm
The winds of change are blowing, and caught in the whirlwind is the Fujita Scale, the method meteorologists use to estimate the strength of tornado winds.
The system has been used since the 1970s, when research scientist Ted Fujita developed the Fujita Scale as a way of measuring the intensity of tornadoes by analyzing storm damage. An inherent problem with the methodology, however, is that it heavily depends on storm damage to determine the F-Scale ranking of a tornado. A powerful tornado doing little damage may be underrated compared to a relatively weaker tornado that happens to be more destructive.
The ubiquitous tornado classification system is now known as the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale). The updated Enhanced Fujita Scale considers additional factors as a way of more accurately determining tornado strength, and to more precisely characterize tornadoes and the threat these natural phenomena pose to society. The EF-Scale now incorporates the type of structural damage that occurs, the type of structure damaged, and the degree of damage done to estimate wind speeds. Like its predecessor, the EF-Scale uses wind estimates rather than actual wind measurements. In each category, the estimated wind speeds are less than those previously used by the Fujita Scale.
New Tornado Ranking Scale
Enhanced Fujita Scale
EF – 0: 65 – 85 MPH
EF – 1: 86 – 110 MPH
EF – 2: 111 – 135 MPH
EF – 3: 136 – 165 MPH
EF – 4: 166 – 200 MPH
EF – 5: Greater than 200 MPH
Former Tornado Ranking Scale
Fujita Scale
F – 0: Less than MPH
F – 1: 73 – 112 MPH
F – 2: 113 – 157 MPH
F – 3: 158 – 206 MPH
F – 4: 207 – 260 MPH
F – 5: 261 – 318 MPH
chad i on December 31, 2009 at 6:43 pm
All Tornadoes will now be evaluated on the enhanced Fujita scale (EF). There are more criteria on the EF scale to define a tornadoes strength. The old scale used degree of damage to rate tornadoes. The EF scale does as well, but takes into account many different criteria that the old scale didn’t account for.