| Rating | Estimated 3-second gust (mph) | Typical damage | U.S. tornadoes 1950 to 2024 (F and EF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | 65 to 85 | Peels surface off some roofs; some damage to gutters or siding; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over. | 32,810 (45.7%) |
| EF1 | 86 to 110 | Roofs badly stripped; mobile homes overturned or badly damaged; loss of exterior doors; windows and other glass broken. | 24,539 (34.2%) |
| EF2 | 111 to 135 | Roofs torn off well-built houses; foundations of frame homes shifted; mobile homes destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; light objects become missiles; cars lifted off the ground. | 9,903 (13.8%) |
| EF3 | 136 to 165 | Entire stories of well-built houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance. | 2,628 (3.7%) |
| EF4 | 166 to 200 | Well-built houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated. | 591 (0.8%) |
| EF5 | Over 200 | Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; car-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; high-rise buildings have significant structural deformation; incredible phenomena will occur. | 59 (0.1%) |
Damage descriptions follow the National Weather Service’s summary of the EF scale.
How a tornado gets its rating
National Weather Service survey teams visit the damage. They match what they see to 28 kinds of structures and trees (from barns and homes to schools and hardwood trees), each with set degrees of damage, and estimate the wind needed. The highest wind found along the path sets the rating. Because the rating comes from damage, a strong tornado that crosses open fields can be rated low, and since 2016 tornadoes that hit nothing rateable are listed as EF-U (unknown): 1,278 so far.
F scale and EF scale
The original Fujita (F) scale was used from 1971 (older tornadoes were rated from records) until February 1, 2007, when the EF scale replaced it with better wind estimates tied to specific damage. The categories line up, so this site shows "F" for tornadoes before 2007 and "EF" after.
The rarest: EF5
Only 59 F5 or EF5 tornadoes are on record since 1950; the most recent was in OK on May 20, 2013. See the full list of F5 and EF5 tornadoes.
Sources
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center: The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF scale)
- NOAA Storm Prediction Center: Severe Weather Database, tornadoes 1950 to 2024 (public domain)
Sources last checked 1 November 2026.
