Fujita scale Facts for Kids

The Fujita scale is a way to measure how strong a tornado is. It looks at the damage a tornado causes to buildings and trees. Scientists who study weather and engineers figure out a tornado's strength. They do this by checking the damage on the ground or from the air. They also look at what people saw and any pictures or videos of the damage. In the United States, a newer scale called the Enhanced Fujita scale took its place in February 2007.

Understanding Tornado Strength
Other Tornado Types
Images for kids
See also

Understanding Tornado Strength

The Fujita scale uses categories from F0 to F5. Each category describes how much damage a tornado can cause and how fast its winds are.

F0: Light Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F0	40–72	64–116	10 - 50	Small damage. Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; sign boards damaged.

F0 damage example

F0 tornadoes are the weakest. They can break tree branches and damage signs. Sometimes, they might cause small damage to chimneys on houses.

F1: Moderate Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F1	73–112	117–180	30 - 150	Medium damage. The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed or rolled over; moving cars and trucks pushed off the roads; garages may be destroyed.

F1 damage example

F1 tornadoes are stronger. Their winds are as fast as a hurricane. They can peel surfaces off roofs and push or roll over mobile homes. Cars and trucks can be pushed off roads, and garages might be destroyed.

F2: Significant Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F2	113–157	181–253	110 - 250	Fairly bad damage. Roofs come off frame houses; mobile homes destroyed; big trees snapped or uprooted.

F2 damage example

F2 tornadoes cause significant damage. They can rip roofs off houses and completely destroy mobile homes. Large trees can be snapped in half or pulled out of the ground.

F3: Severe Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F3	158–206	254–332	200 - 500	Bad damage. Roofs and some walls come off well-made houses; trains rolled over; most trees in forest uprooted; skyscrapers twisted and damaged; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown.

F3 damage example

F3 tornadoes are very powerful. They can tear off roofs and even some walls from strong houses. Trains can be rolled over, and most trees in a forest can be pulled up by their roots. Even heavy cars can be lifted off the ground and thrown.

F4: Devastating Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F4	207–260	333–418	400 - 900	Very bad damage. Well-made houses leveled; buildings and other things with weak foundations blown away very far; skyscrapers and highrises destroyed.

F4 damage example

F4 tornadoes cause devastating damage. Well-built houses can be completely flattened. Buildings and other structures that don't have strong foundations can be blown far away. Even skyscrapers can be twisted and destroyed.

F5: Incredible Damage

Scale	Wind Speed (mph)	Wind Speed (km/h)	Damage Path Width (meters)	Example of Damage
F5	261–318	419–512	1100 ~	Worst damage. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and thrown very far away which are soon destroyed; trees debarked; strong reinforced concrete structures badly damaged.

F5 damage example

F5 tornadoes are the strongest and most destructive. They can lift strong houses off their foundations and throw them a very long distance, completely destroying them. Trees can have their bark stripped off, and even very strong reinforced concrete buildings can be badly damaged.

Other Tornado Types

A Waterspout is a type of tornado that forms over water. It is usually rated as an F0 on the Fujita scale because it typically causes less damage than tornadoes over land.