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Creation of the Fujita Scale
Named after Ted Fujita and Allen Pearson, the Fujita-Pearson Scale (more commonly referred to as the Fujita Scale) was developed in 1971 and has become a widespread tool in measuring tornadic activity. This scale combines the measurement of the length and width of the tornado's path to determine its intensity. Until the Fujita Scale was put into place, meteorologists and storm chasers relied on a more subjective system of measuring a tornado's intensity.
The F-0, F-1 and F-2
The Fujita Scale rates tornadoes from F-0 to F-6. The scale does not take into consideration the size of the tornado, but instead involves the relative wind speed and the damage the tornado creates. An F-0 tornado, for example, carries a wind speed of 40 to 72 mph and might do little more than break tree branches or pull down small trees. The F-1 tornado can deliver wind speeds up to 112 mph and be so destructive as to remove mobile homes from their foundations or peel back roofs. The F-2 is significantly stronger, with wind speeds between 113 and 157 mph. During F-2 tornadoes, entire roof systems can be pulled from frame houses, while mobile homes are completely destroyed.
The F-3 and F-4
The damage of an F-3 tornado shows the power of wind speeds that reach up to 206 mph. In such storms, high winds and funnel clouds have the power to overturn trains and uproot large trees. The next rating, the F-4, describes tornadoes with wind speeds of 207 to 260 mph, with devastation that might include the leveling of houses and the tossing of cars.
The Strongest Tornadoes
Finally, the highest tornado ratings are the F-5 and F-6. The F-5 tornado can damage and often destroy steel and concrete structures, while lifting frame houses and landing them a considerable distance away in wind speeds between 261 and 318 mph. The F-6 tornado is described as "inconceivable," as its wind speeds between 319 and 379 mph would not be identifiable through conventional engineering techniques.