Tornado Strength

EF0

Light Damage

Mild tornado strength, peels surface off some roofs; some damage to gutters or siding; branches broken off trees; shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

Confirmed tornadoes with no reported damage (i.e. those that remain in open fields) are always rated EF0.

EF1

Moderate Damage

Roofs severely stripped; mobile homes overturned or badly damaged; loss of exterior doors; windows and other glass broken.

EF2

Considerable Damage

Roofs torn off well-constructed houses; foundations of frame homes shifted; mobile homes completely destroyed; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated; cars lifted off ground.

EF3

Severe Damage

Entire stories of well-constructed houses destroyed; severe damage to large buildings such as shopping malls; trains overturned; trees debarked; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown; structures with weak foundations blown away some distance.

EF4

Devastating Damage

Well-constructed houses and whole frame houses completely leveled; cars thrown and small missiles generated.

EF5

Exploding Damage

Extreme tornado strength, strong frame houses leveled off foundations and swept away; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 m (300 ft); steel reinforced concrete structure badly damaged; high-rise buildings have significant structural deformation; incredible phenomena will occur.

So far there have been two EF5 tornadoes recorded since the Enhanced Fujita Scale was introduced on February 1, 2007. The most recent one occurred in Parkersburg, Iowa on May 25, 2008 and leveled half the city. See Greensburg, Kansas tornado, Northeast Iowa supercell