The National Weather Service rates tornado intensity using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, which ranks tornadoes from 0 to 5 by assessing damage and determining wind speed.
Here's the damage associated with each level:
EF0: Gusts 65 to 85 mph
These tornadoes are minimally destructive, often breaking tree limbs, damaging road signs and knocking over small trees with shallow roots.
EF1: 86 to 110 mph gusts
These tornadoes have wind speeds similar to those of weak hurricanes and can push moving cars off course, dislodge mobile homes from their foundations, and remove roof surfaces.
EF2: 111 to 135 mph gusts
These tornadoes begin to wreak havoc, possibly snapping or uprooting trees, destroying mobile homes, and ripping roofs off homes entirely.
They can also pick up small objects and turn them into dangerous projectiles.
EF3: 136 to 165 mph gusts
These tornadoes wreak havoc, uprooting nearly every tree in their path, knocking over large vehicles such as trains and buses, and severely damaging buildings.
Less than 5% of all tornadoes are rated EF3 or higher.
EF4: 166 to 200 mph gusts
Easily destroying homes, overturning cars and blowing down large trees, these tornadoes can be devastating.
EF5: 200+ mph gusts
These monsters wreak utter destruction, leveling nearly everything in their path.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, only 59 such storms have been recorded in the United States since 1950.
