(No longer used in the U.S.)
SCALE | WIND ESTIMATE *** (MPH) | TYPICAL DAMAGE |
F0 | < 73 | Light damage. Some damage to chimneys; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over; sign boards damaged. |
F1 | 73-112 | Moderate damage. Peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos blown off roads. |
F2 | 113-157 | Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars overturned; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground. |
F3 | 158-206 | Severe damage. Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown. |
F4 | 207-260 | Devastating damage. Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated. |
F5 | 261-318 | Incredible damage. Strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters (109 yds); trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur. |
*** IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT F-SCALE WINDS: F-scale winds were not meant to be used literally. These precise windspeed numbers were guesses and have not been verified in science or engineering. Different wind speeds may cause similar-looking damage from place to place -- even from building to building. Without a thorough engineering analysis of tornado damage in any event, the actual wind speeds needed to cause that damage are unknown. The Enhanced F-scale was implemented in February 2007.