The EF scale: how tornadoes are rated
Tornadoes are rated from EF0 to EF5 by the damage they leave behind, which survey teams use to estimate the wind speed. NOAA's record holds 71,912 rated US tornadoes since 1950.
The six ratings
EF0: Light damage
65 to 85 mph · 33,329 tornadoes, 46.3%
EF1: Moderate damage
86 to 110 mph · 25,179 tornadoes, 35.0%
EF2: Considerable damage
111 to 135 mph · 10,079 tornadoes, 14.0%
EF3: Severe damage
136 to 165 mph · 2,669 tornadoes, 3.7%
EF4: Devastating damage
166 to 200 mph · 596 tornadoes, 0.83%
EF5: Incredible damage
Over 200 mph · 60 tornadoes, 0.08%
Wind speeds are estimated 3-second gusts at the point of damage. 1,546 tornadoes in the record have no rating.
Most tornadoes are weak
EF0 and EF1 tornadoes make up 81.4% of the record. EF4 and EF5 together are 0.91%.
The strongest cause most deaths
Tornadoes rated EF2 and above are 18.6% of the record but caused 96% of tornado deaths. You cannot tell a tornado's strength by looking at it, so take shelter for every warning.
| Rating | Tornadoes | Deaths per tornado | Injuries per tornado |
|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | 33,329 | 0.001 | 0.03 |
| EF1 | 25,179 | 0.010 | 0.29 |
| EF2 | 10,079 | 0.067 | 1.7 |
| EF3 | 2,669 | 0.561 | 9.5 |
| EF4 | 596 | 4.3 | 60.3 |
| EF5 | 60 | 22.5 | 215.9 |
F scale and EF scale
The EF scale replaced the original Fujita (F) scale on 1 February 2007. Older tornadoes keep their F rating, and this site groups each with its EF number, so F3 and EF3 count together.
| Rating | F scale (mph) | EF scale (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 40 to 72 | 65 to 85 |
| 1 | 73 to 112 | 86 to 110 |
| 2 | 113 to 157 | 111 to 135 |
| 3 | 158 to 206 | 136 to 165 |
| 4 | 207 to 260 | 166 to 200 |
| 5 | 261 to 318 | Over 200 |
The EF scale lowered the wind estimates because research showed the F scale overestimated the wind needed for a given level of damage. Survey teams now compare damage against 28 types of building, structure and tree.
Explore by rating
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center records, 1950 to 2025. Tornadoes before about 1953 were under-reported, and weak tornadoes are found more often since Doppler radar.