The Fujita Scale is used to rate the intensity of a tornado by examining the damage caused after the tornado has passed over man-made structures and vegetation.
| Scale | Estimated Wind Speed | |
|---|---|---|
| mph | kph | |
| EF0 | 65-85 | 105-107 |
| EF1 | 86-110 | 138-178 |
| EF2 | 111-135 | 179-218 |
| EF3 | 136-165 | 219-266 |
| EF4 | 166-200 | 267-322 |
| EF5 | >200 | >322 |
The EF scale uses three-second gusts estimated at the point of damage based on a judgment of 8 levels of damage to the 28 indicators listed below. These estimates vary with height and exposure.
| Number | Damage Indicator | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small barns, farm outbuildings | SBO |
| 2 | One- or two-family residences | FR12 |
| 3 | Single-wide mobile home | MHSW |
| 4 | Double-wide mobile home | MHDW |
| 5 | Aptartment, condo, townhouse (3 stories or less) | ACT |
| 6 | Motel | M |
| 7 | Masonry apartment or motel | MAM |
| 8 | Small retail building (fast food) | SRB |
| 9 | Small professional building (doctor's office, branch bank) | SPB |
| 10 | Strip mall | SM |
| 11 | Large shopping mall | LSM |
| 12 | Large, isolated ("big box") retail building | LIRB |
| 13 | Automobile showroom | ASR |
| 14 | Automotive service building | ASB |
| 15 | School (1-story elementary; interior or exterior halls) | ES |
| 16 | School (junior or senior high school) | JHSH |
| 17 | Low-rise (1-4 story) building | LRB |
| 18 | Mid-rise (5-20 story) building | MRB |
| 19 | High-rise (over 20 stories) building | HRB |
| 20 | Institutional building (hospital, government, or university) | IB |
| 21 | Metal building system | MBS |
| 22 | Service station canopy | SSC |
| 23 | Warehouse (tilt-up walls or heavy timber) | WHB |
| 24 | Transmission line tower | TLT |
| 25 | Free-standing tower | FST |
| 26 | Free standing pole (light, flag) | FSP |
| 27 | Tree (hardwood) | TH |
| 28 | Tree (softwood) | TS |