The Xenia, Ohio, F5 tornado of April 3, 1974. This was one of two tornadoes to receive a preliminary rating of F6, which was downgraded later to a rating of F5.[1]
Tornadoes are among the most violent known meteorological phenomena. Each year, more than 2,000 tornadoes are recorded worldwide, with the vast majority occurring in North America and Europe.[9] In order to assess the intensity of these events, meteorologist Ted Fujita devised a method to estimate maximum wind speeds within tornadic storms based on the damage caused; this became known as the Fujita scale. The scale ranks tornadoes from F0 to F5, with F0 being the least intense and F5 being the most intense. F5 tornadoes were estimated to have had maximum winds between 261 mph (420 km/h) and 318 mph (512 km/h).[10][note 3]
Following two particularly devastating tornadoes in 1997 and 1999, engineers questioned the reliability of the Fujita scale. Ultimately, a new scale was devised that took into account 28 different damage indicators; this became known as the Enhanced Fujita scale.[11] The Enhanced Fujita scale is used predominantly in North America. Most of Europe, on the other hand, uses the TORRO tornado intensity scale (or T-Scale), which ranks tornado intensity between T0 and T11; F5/EF5 tornadoes are approximately equivalent to T10 to T11 on the T-Scale.
In the United States, between 1950 and January 31, 2007, a total of 50 tornadoes were officially rated F5, and since February 1, 2007, a total of nine tornadoes have been officially rated EF5.[12][13] Since 1950, Canada has had one tornado officially rated an F5.[14] Outside the United States and Canada, seven tornadoes have been officially rated F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent: two each in France, Germany, and one in Italy, Argentina and Australia.
Several other tornadoes have also been documented as possibly attaining this status, though they are not officially rated as such. The work of tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis revealed the existence of several dozen likely F5 tornadoes between 1880 and 1995. Grazulis also called into question the ratings of several tornadoes currently rated F5 by official sources. Many tornadoes officially rated F4/EF4 or equivalent have been disputed and described as actual F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent tornadoes, and vice versa; since structures are completely destroyed in both cases, distinguishing between an EF4 tornado and an EF5 tornado is often very difficult.[15] Additionally, because tornado ratings are damage-based, many tornadoes capable of causing F5/EF5/T10+ damage, such as those that move through rural areas, may receive lower ratings because their strongest winds do not strike any suitable damage indicators.[16]
List of events
F5 and EF5 Tornadoes in the United States 1950-2019 Detailed map
Prior to 1950, assessments of F5 tornadoes are based primarily on the work of Thomas P. Grazulis. The NCDC has accepted 38 of his F5 classifications of tornadoes occurring between 1880 and 1950. In addition to the accepted ones, Grazulis rated a further 25 during the same period which were not accepted. Grazulis' work has identified 16 additional F5 tornadoes between 1950 and 1995,[19] with four later being accepted by the NCDC.[18] From 1950 to 1970, tornadoes were assessed retrospectively, primarily using information recorded in government databases, as well as newspaper photographs and eyewitness accounts. Beginning in 1971, tornadoes were rated by the NWS using on-site damage surveys.[20]
As of February 1, 2007, tornadoes in the United States are rated using the Enhanced Fujita scale, which replaced the Fujita scale in order to more accurately correlate tornadic intensity with damage indicators and to augment and refine damage descriptors. No earlier tornadoes will be reclassified on the Enhanced Fujita scale, and no new tornadoes in the United States will be rated on the original Fujita scale. France and Canada also adopted the EF-Scale in subsequent years. Since the creation of the International Fujita scale in 2018, no tornadoes have been rated IF5.
Official F5/EF5/T10+ tornadoes
Worldwide, a total of 67 tornadoes have been officially rated F5/EF5: 59 in the United States, two each in France and Germany, and one each in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Italy. Of the 59 tornadoes in the United States, 50 are officially rated F5 on the original Fujita scale (with dates of occurrence between May 11, 1953, and May 3, 1999), and nine are officially rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale (with dates of occurrence between May 4, 2007, and May 20, 2013). In total, 57 of these tornadoes have been rated F5 and ten have been rated EF5.
1764 Woldegk tornado — This extremely intense tornado caused tremendous damage to vegetation, and large debris from leveled homes was carried over 10 km (6.2 mi). This tornado was among the strongest ever recorded and rated as F5/T11, indicating potential winds over 300 mph (480 km/h). The rating was assigned based on several surveys by German scientist Gottlob Burchard Genzmer. 5-to-10-centimetre-diameter (2.0 to 3.9 in) hail occurred during this tornado as well.[21]
Three large mills, at least one of which was newly built, were leveled and partly swept clean. One of the mills was a four-story structure that likely collapsed. Large debris was carried 30 km (19 mi), and mature trees were thrown "very far." This tornado was rated EF5 by the French Observatory of Tornadoes and Violent Thunderstorms (Keraunos), with the European Severe Storms Laboratory acknowledging the EF5 rating as its "maximum intensity", though ESSL also rated the tornado F5. TORRO rated the tornado T10.[23]
A tornado struck near the city of Bowen. In the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) database, the tornado is marked as striking present day Brisbane, however, local papers confirmed the tornado caused "a large amount of damage" to Bowen.[24]
1953 Waco tornado outbreak – This was the first officially-ranked F5 tornado in the United States. Homes outside Waco sustained F5-level damage. Large, multi-story buildings collapsed in downtown Waco, but incurred sub-F5-level damage.[27]
Tornado outbreak of May 29, 1953 – A large church was leveled and its pews were driven 4 ft (1.2 m) into the ground. Parts of a car were carried for 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km). The tornado was initially rated F4 by Grazulis, but he subsequently upgraded it to F5.[28]
1953 Flint-Beecher tornado – Entire blocks of homes were completely swept away, with only rows of bare slabs and empty basements remaining. Cycloidal ground scouring occurred as well.[29] Some victims were horribly mutilated or dismembered.[30][31]
1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak – Nearly every structure in Udall was leveled. Vehicles were thrown and stripped down to their frames, including a pickup truck that was partially wrapped around a tree. A 30-by-40-foot (9.1 by 12.2 m) concrete block building was obliterated, with the foundation left mostly bare. Numerous trees were debarked as well.[36]
April 1956 Hudsonville–Standale tornado – Many homes and businesses were swept completely away, leaving bare foundations behind. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was observed, and vehicles were tossed hundreds of yards as well. One home that was swept away had all of its tile flooring scoured from the foundation. Grazulis initially listed this tornado as an F4 but noted that it "probably produced F5 damage"; he subsequently upgraded it to F5.[37]
May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence – Entire rows of homes were swept away, with extensive wind-rowing of structural debris noted in nearby fields. Some homes had their anchor-bolted[citation needed] subfloors swept away as well, leaving only empty basements behind. A steel-reinforced[citation needed] school was partially leveled, and many shops and businesses sustained F5 damage. Homes were leveled in both states, but F5-level damage occurred to both homes and stores in Missouri, chiefly the neighborhoods of Martin City, Ruskin Heights, and Hickman Mills.[38]
Fargo tornado – Homes in the newest part of Fargo were leveled, some of which were swept away. Part of the Golden Ridge subdivision was scattered long distances into nearby fields. Fujita considered this more intense than the strongest tornadoes he surveyed from April 11, 1965.[39]
Tornado outbreak of June 3–4, 1958 – Homes were swept away, and numerous trees were completely debarked. A car was wrapped around the side of a small steel[citation needed] bridge that collapsed in the tornado. Grazulis initially rated this as an F4, but later upgraded it to F5.[41]
1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak – Homes were swept away, and a brick church was obliterated. The pavement was scoured from roads, and cars were thrown more than 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) from where they originated. The newly built Candlestick Park shopping center was leveled, and concrete masonry blocks were scattered for long distances. Steel girders were "twisted like wet noodles" at a glass plant.[47]
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 1966 – Entire rows of homes were swept away, and grass was scoured from lawns. Eight homes incurred F5-level damage on Burnett's Mound, disproving a myth that the mound protected Topeka from tornadoes.[48]
A house was swept away on the outskirts of town, and on this basis the tornado was officially rated F5. However, the home was likely poorly anchored, as debris was deposited in a neat pile near the foundation, and nearby homes only showed F1-level damage. Grazulis rated this tornado as an F4.[49]
Homes were leveled in and near Palluel, but the tornado was rated F5 on the basis of cars being thrown 200 m (220 yd). Grazulis rated this tornado as an F3.[50]
Tornado outbreak of April 21–24, 1968 – Homes were swept away, with only their foundations left in some cases. A large metal electrical transmission tower was ripped off at the base and thrown. The F5 rating is disputed as structures swept away were not anchored properly. Grazulis rated this tornado as an F4.[51]
1968 Tracy tornado – Several businesses, farms, and homes were swept completely away. A heavy boxcar was thrown more than a full block, and two others were thrown 300 yd (270 m). A steel I-beam was carried for 2 mi (3.2 km) on a piece of roof. Extensive ground scouring occurred as well.[54]
Lubbock tornado – Homes were swept away at F5 intensity, and trees were almost completely debarked. A high-rise building suffered structural deformation, a 13-ton (26,000 lb; 12,000 kg) metal fertilizer tank was thrown nearly 1 mi (1.6 km) through the air, and large oil tanks were carried for over 300 yd (270 m); however, none of these cases was deemed to have required winds of F5 intensity. This tornado was surveyed by Fujita and individual cases of damage in Lubbock were used as guidelines for the newly created Fujita scale. This tornado was originally rated F6, but was later downgraded to F5.[55][56]
Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971 – This was the sole F5 tornado on record in Louisiana. Numerous small homes were completely leveled in both states, but the only official F5 damage occurred in Louisiana, as damage in Mississippi only reached F4-level intensity. Grazulis originally rated this tornado as an F4, but later upgraded it to F5.[57]
San Justo tornado – Masonry homes reportedly vanished with little or no trace, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of meters from where they originated and mangled beyond recognition. Large factories were completely leveled and grass was scoured from the ground. A vehicle motor was found embedded into a poured concrete wall, and a tractor was thrown 500 m (1,600 ft) into a wooded area.[58] This slow-moving tornado was not rated until 2017.[59]
This tornado was rated F5 by wind engineers on the basis of vehicles being carried long distances. Two pickup trucks were lofted for hundreds of yards, one of which traveled 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) through the air. Peak structural damage was only of F2 intensity, as two rural barns were obliterated. The F5 rating was accepted by Fujita at the time.[60]
1974 Super Outbreak – This was one of six tornadoes on April 3 to be rated F5 by Fujita. Homes were swept completely away, and entire farms were leveled.[62]
1974 Xenia tornado – Aerial photography and isoline surveys by Fujita showed that entire rows of brick homes were swept away and sustained F5 damage. Wind-rowing of debris occurred in nearby fields, and very intense damage was reported to steel-reinforced schools. This tornado was originally rated F6 by Fujita, but was later downgraded to F5.[1][63]
1974 Super Outbreak – Multiple well-built, anchor-bolted homes were swept away, including one that sustained total collapse of its poured concrete walk-out basement wall. The grass was scoured from the ground, and aerial photography showed extensive wind-rowing in Brandenburg. Trees were completely debarked, and low-lying shrubs next to leveled homes were uprooted and stripped. Multiple vehicles were also thrown hundreds of yards and stripped down to their frames.[64]
1974 Super Outbreak – Homes were swept away in Sayler Park, and a large floating restaurant barge was lifted, ripped from its moorings, and flipped upside-down by the tornado. Boats and vehicles were carried long distances through the air.[65]
1974 Super Outbreak – Numerous homes were swept away and scattered. In Limestone County, where the F5 damage occurred, a large swath of trees was leveled, and ground scouring occurred nearby, with dirt found to have been dug up and plastered to the bark, and a pump was lifted out of a well at one location. Shrubbery was debarked as well.[66][67]
1974 Super Outbreak – This tornado is officially listed as an F5, but was rated an F4 by Grazulis and Fujita. It crossed into Tennessee and did F4 damage in both states, though the supposed F5 damage only occurred in Alabama, where numerous homes were swept away and extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred. Some of the damage in Tennessee was previously rated F5, but later downgraded to F4.[66][68]
1974 Super Outbreak – According to the NWS in Birmingham, Alabama, this is considered one of the strongest tornadoes ever to impact the United States. Sources indicate that F5 damage was reported along much of the path, and that many homes in and near Guin sustained F5 damage. Many of these homes were swept away, their debris being scattered across fields, and some reportedly had their "foundations dislodged and in some cases swept away as well." A large industrial plant in Guin was reduced to a pile of mangled beams. Additionally, photographs showed intense wind-rowing from suction vortices. The path of the tornado was visible in satellite imagery, as thousands of trees, including in the William B. Bankhead National Forest, were snapped.[69]
Frame homes were swept away, and 134,000-pound (61,000 kg) coal cars were tossed. Grazulis originally rated this tornado as an F4, but later upgraded it to F5.[70]
1976 Brownwood tornado – Homes were swept away, with only a bathtub remaining on one of the foundations. Several teenagers were caught in the open and were picked up and thrown 1,000 yd (910 m; 0.57 mi) but survived. Mesquite trees were shredded. Grazulis originally rated this tornado as an F4, but later upgraded it to F5.[71]
Homes were swept away and well-built farms reportedly vanished without a trace. In a conversation with Grazulis concerning the "worst" tornadoes, this tornado was reportedly mentioned by Fujita as having produced some of the most intense instances of damage he surveyed, along with the 1974 Xenia tornado.[72]
April 1977 Birmingham tornado – Many homes were swept away, some of which had all of their cinder block walk-out basement walls completely swept away as well. Trees were debarked and two dump trucks were thrown through the air. Along with an example from the 1970 Lubbock tornado, Fujita used a visual example from this tornado to illustrate F5 damage.[74]
Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1982 – A house was swept away with only carpet tacks left on the empty foundation. The F5 rating is disputed because the home was likely not anchored properly and its destruction "probably" reflected F3-level winds instead. Due to its appearance, Fujita maintained the F5 rating. Other houses suffered F4 damage.[75]
Barneveld, Wisconsin tornado outbreak – A cul-de-sac of newly built homes was swept away, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards. Small trees were debarked as well. Like the 1966 Topeka tornado, this event also disproved a myth that a nearby ridge or "mound" protected an area from tornadoes.[76]
1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak – This tornado caused F5 damage along much of its path through Niles and Wheatland. A shopping center in Niles was obliterated, sustaining F5 damage and several deaths. Metal girders at the center twisted and buckled. Well-built, anchor-bolted homes were swept away, and 75,000-pound (34,000 kg) petroleum storage tanks were ripped from their anchors and thrown hundreds of feet. Pavement was scoured from a parking lot, and a steel-frame trucking plant was obliterated and partially swept away with the beams severely mangled. Routing slips from the plant were found wedged into the remaining asphalt of the parking lot. An airplane wing was carried 10 mi (16 km) from where it originated. The tornado remains the only F5 or EF5 in Pennsylvania history. Grazulis called it a "maxi-tornado" to denote its extreme intensity.[77]
March 1990 Central US tornado outbreak – Many homes and businesses were swept away in town with only slabs and empty basements remaining. Industrial buildings were obliterated and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and stripped down to their frames.[78][79]
March 1990 Central US tornado outbreak – Homes were obliterated and swept away (at least one of them was well-bolted), but the F5 rating was assigned due to very intense cycloidal ground scouring. The tornado is considered by some sources to be one of the strongest tornadoes ever surveyed at the time, though little detailed information about the damage is available.[80]
1990 Plainfield tornado – A mature corn crop was scoured from the ground, leaving nothing but bare soil behind. Several inches of topsoil were blown away as well. A 20-ton (40,000 lb; 18,000 kg) tractor-trailer was tossed from a road and thrown more than 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km), and vehicles were picked up and carried through the air. The F5 rating is based solely upon the extreme ground scouring; areas in Plainfield sustained high-end F4 structural damage, though the ground scouring nearby was much less intense than where the corn crop was obliterated. Fujita considered the ground scouring to be "comparable to the worst he had seen."[81]
April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak – Many large, well-built homes with anchor bolts were swept away, leaving bare foundations behind, and the grass was scoured from the ground. Extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred, leaving streaks of debris extending away from empty foundations. Trees and small twigs were completely stripped of their bark. Vehicles were thrown up to 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km) from where they originated and were mangled beyond recognition.[82]
1996 Oakfield tornado – Well-built homes with anchor bolts were swept away, including one where rebar supports were bent at 60° to 90°. Vehicles were thrown up to 400 yd (370 m) through the air and mangled beyond recognition. Crops were scoured to 1-inch (2.5 cm) stubble.[84] While listing the tornado as an F5, Grazulis considered its rating to be "somewhat questionable."[19]
1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak – This tornado produced some of the most extreme damage ever documented. An entire subdivision of well-built homes was swept completely away with very little debris remaining. Some of the homes were well-bolted to their foundations. Long expanses of pavement, cumulatively 525 ft (160 m) in length, were torn from roads, and a large swath of ground was scoured out to a depth of 18 in (46 cm). Vehicles were torn apart and scattered across fields, "several dozen" of which were reportedly never found, and a recycling plant was obliterated. Trees were completely debarked and mutilated cattle were carried more than 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km). The tornado was very slow-moving, which may have exacerbated the destruction to some extent.[85]
1998 Nashville tornado outbreak – Many large and well-built homes with anchor bolts were swept away, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards. A swath of grass 200 ft (61 m) wide was scoured from the ground, with nothing but bare soil and clumps of dirt remaining; according to Grazulis, this phenomenon indicated "extreme" winds at ground level.[89][88][90] This tornado is the only documented F5 in the history of Tennessee.[91]
1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado – Mobile radar recorded winds up to 302 ± 22 mph (486 ± 35 km/h), which is the highest wind speed ever measured on Earth. Many homes were swept completely away, some of which were well-bolted to their foundations, and debris from some homes was finely granulated. Severe ground and pavement scouring occurred including removing pavement. Trees and shrubs were completely debarked, and vehicles were thrown up to 440 yd (400 m) from where they originated. An airplane wing was carried for several miles, and a 36,000-pound (16,000 kg) freight car was bounced 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km).[92][88][93][94][95] This was the 50th and last tornado to be officially rated F5 on the Fujita scale in the United States before the introduction of the Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007.
May 2007 tornado outbreak – This tornado destroyed 95% of the town, including seven well-built homes with anchor bolts that were swept away. Vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled, several freight train cars were overturned, and multi-ton oil tanks were destroyed. Fire hydrants were ripped from the ground in town, and large trees were completely denuded and debarked as well.[96] Aerial views of the tornado's path showed spiral and erratic paths from suction vortices in fields before it hit Greensburg; the area was partially scoured with some vegetation removed.[citation needed] This was the first tornado to have been rated EF5 after the retirement of the original Fujita Scale in the United States in February 2007.
2007 Elie tornado – Two homes were swept away, including one that was well-bolted to its foundation. A few of the bolts themselves were snapped off. A van was thrown 150 m (490 ft) through the air, and nearby trees were debarked as well.[97] Only officially rated F5 tornado in Canada.[98] Last tornado to be rated F5 due to Environment Canada utilizing the Enhanced Fujita Scale beginning April 1, 2013.
2008 Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado – Well-built homes with anchor bolts were swept away, 17 of which were assessed to have sustained EF5 damage. Two of them had no visible debris left anywhere near the foundations.[99][100] A concrete walk-out basement wall was pushed over at one home, and the concrete floor was cracked. A rebar support set into the foundation of another home was found snapped in half, and reinforced concrete light poles were snapped and dragged along the ground. A large industrial building was completely destroyed, with metal beams twisted and sheared off at their bases, and the foundation pushed clean of the metal framing and debris. Vehicles were thrown long distances and stripped down to their frames as well. Additionally, a large field east of Parkersburg was filled with finely granulated debris that was wind-rowed in long streaks, trees were completely debarked, and shrubs were uprooted and stripped in some areas.[99][100][101]
2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado – Rated EF5 based upon extreme ground scouring. The tornado dug a trench 2 ft (0.61 m) deep into a pasture, leaving nothing but large clumps of dirt and bare topsoil behind.[102] A tied-down mobile home was lofted through the air and carried 300 yd (270 m), with no indication of contact with the ground. Several vehicles were tossed hundreds of yards and wrapped around trees,[102] and a steel I-beam was twisted and embedded into the ground. Pavement was scoured from roads as well, and extreme debarking and denuding of trees occurred, some of which were ripped out of the ground and thrown up to 20 yd (18 m) away.
2011 Smithville, Mississippi tornado – This tornado produced some of the most violent damage ever documented. Numerous well-built, anchor-bolted brick homes were swept away. Floor tiles were ripped from the foundations of several homes. An SUV was thrown half a mile into the top of the town's water tower, and was recovered on the opposite side of town. Other vehicles were torn into multiple pieces, stripped down to their frames, wrapped around trees, or simply never recovered. In the most intense damage area, all plumbing and appliances at home-sites were "shredded or missing", and debris was finely granulated.[103] Chip and tar pavement was torn from road, large trees were completely debarked. A large brick funeral home was reduced to a bare slab, and extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred next to the foundation. Outside of town, the ground was deeply scoured in an open field. Additionally, low-lying vegetation and shrubbery was completely debarked and shredded.[104]
2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado – This was the deadliest tornado in Alabama history. Numerous homes, some of which were large, well-built, and anchor-bolted were swept away. Debris from some obliterated homes was scattered and wind-rowed well away from the foundations.[105][106] One home that was swept away had its concrete stemwalls sheared off at ground level. Vehicles were thrown at least 200 yd (180 m),[105] and at least one large vehicle that was missing after the tornado was never located.[106] Hundreds of trees were completely debarked and twisted, and in some cases were reduced only to stubs.[106] Pavement was scoured from roads as well, a large industrial plant was leveled to the ground, and a restaurant that was swept away had a small portion of its foundation slab torn apart.[106][107]
2011 Rainsville, Alabama tornado – Many homes were swept away, some of which had their concrete porches torn away and shattered, with debris strewn up to a mile away from the foundations in some cases. A few of the homes were bolted to their foundations. An 800-pound (360 kg) safe was ripped from its anchors and thrown 600 ft (180 m), and its door was ripped from its frame. Ground scouring occurred, and sidewalk pavement was pulled up. A pickup truck was tossed 250 yd (230 m) and torn apart. An underground storm shelter had much of its dirt covering scoured away and was heaved slightly out of the ground, and pavement was scoured from roads. One well-built stone house was obliterated, and a stone pillar was ripped completely out of the ground at that residence, pulling up a section of house foundation in the process.[108][109]
2011 Joplin tornado – Deadliest tornado in the United States since 1947. Many homes, business, and steel-frame industrial buildings were swept away, and large vehicles including semi-trucks and buses were thrown hundreds of yards. A large multi-story hospital had its foundation and underpinning system so severely damaged that it was structurally compromised and had to be torn down. Reinforced concrete porches were deformed, lifted, and tossed, and 300-pound (140 kg) concrete parking stops anchored with rebar were ripped from parking lots and tossed well over 100 ft (30 m). Vehicles were thrown several blocks away from the residences where they originated, and a few were never recovered. Damage to driveways was noted at some residences as well. A large steel-reinforced concrete "step and floor structure" leading to one building was warped slightly and cracked.[110] Ground and pavement scouring occurred, and heavy manhole covers were removed from roads as well. On June 10, 2013, an engineering study found no evidence of EF5 structural damage in Joplin due to the poor quality of construction of many buildings. However, the EF5 rating stood as the National Weather Service in Springfield, Missouri, stated that survey team found an area of EF5 structural damage (at and around the hospital) and that it could have easily been missed in the survey, and the EF5 rating was mainly based on large vehicles being thrown long distances, along with non-conventional, non-structural instances of damage, such as removal of manhole covers, pavement, concrete porches, driveways, and parking stops, and the presence of wind-rowed debris. Furthermore the engineering survey only examined a small portion of the damage swath, Timothy Marshall identified 22 homes which were EF5, some of the most EF5 damage rated by a single tornado.[111][110][112][113] Peak winds were estimated at 250 mph (400 km/h).[114]
2011 Hinton–El Reno–Piedmont–Guthrie, Oklahoma tornado – Many homes were swept away, trees were completely debarked, and extensive ground scouring occurred. At the Cactus 117 oil rig, a 1,900,000-pound (860,000 kg) oil derrick was blown over and rolled several times. Cars were thrown long distances and wrapped around trees, including an SUV that was thrown 780 yd (710 m) and had its body ripped from the frame. Several cars near the beginning of the path were thrown more than 1,093 yd (999 m).[115][116] Additionally, a 20,000-pound (9,100 kg) oil tanker truck was thrown approximately 1 mi (1.6 km).[117][118] Mobile Doppler weather radar indicated wind speeds as high as 295 mph (475 km/h).[119]
2013 Moore tornado – Many homes were swept away, including nine that were well-built and bolted to their foundations and two elementary schools were completely destroyed.[120] Extensive ground scouring occurred with only bare soil left in some areas, and a 10-ton (20,000 lb; 9,100 kg) propane tank was thrown more than 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) through the air. Trees and shrubs were completely debarked, wind-rowing of debris was noted, and an oil tank was thrown a full mile from a production site, while another was never found.[121][122] A manhole cover was removed near Moore Medical Center, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and torn into multiple pieces.[123][124]
Possible F5/EF5/T10+ tornadoes officially rated F4/EF4/T9 or lower
Because the distinctions between F4/EF4/T9 and F5/EF5/T10 tornadoes are often ambiguous, the official ratings of numerous other tornadoes formally rated below F5/EF5/T10 or equivalent have been disputed, with certain government sources or independent studies contradicting the official record.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by participating in discussions about tornadoes for this list.
Previously rated F5/EF5 or rated F5/EF5 by others
This list includes tornadoes previously rated F5 or EF5 by the National Weather Service as well as tornadoes rated F5/EF5 by other branches of the United States government, tornado experts (i.e. Thomas P. Grazulis, Ted Fujita), or meteorological research institutions (i.e. European Severe Storms Laboratory).
Tornado outbreak of March 21–22, 1952 – This tornado is officially rated F4 in tornado databases; however, the National Climatic Data Center lists this as an F5 event in a technical report listing all known F5 tornadoes.[26] The only possible F5 damage was to a concrete block structure that may or may not have been steel-reinforced. It originally was the first officially ranked F5 tornado in the United States, but was later downgraded to F4.[91]
1953 Worcester tornado – Many strong structures with numerous interior walls were leveled, and entire blocks of homes were swept cleanly away. The large, brick Assumption College sustained severe damage, and its upper stories were completely destroyed. A large, multi-ton storage tank was carried over a road, and trees along the path were debarked as well. Debris from this tornado was found in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1993 Grazulis noted that an F5 rating was "probably appropriate," and in a later publication of his, in 2001, the tornado was posthumously rated F5, based on newly available photographs of the "immense" destruction, which indicated that the tornado merited an F5 rating and "should" have been rated as such in 1975, but was instead rated F4 at that time. Even after an unprecedented reassessment of damages in 2005, a panel of experts assembled by the National Weather Service determined that anchoring techniques for the homes that were swept away or had completely vanished could not be determined. Without a proper engineering qualification, it would be nearly impossible to determine with 100% accuracy which damage was F5 and which was F4, as appearances would be similar. As a result, the panel decided that the rating would remain a high-end F4.[55][125]
All buildings and machinery were swept away from a farm. Widely accepted as an F5 tornado, including within a NCDC technical report;[35] however, it is listed as an F4 in the official databases.[127]
1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak – This was the second violent tornado to strike Dunlap within 90 minutes. A well-built truck stop was leveled and many permanent homes were swept away in two subdivisions.[128]
1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak – Homes were cleanly swept away in Strongsville and Pittsfield, and Pittsfield was completely destroyed. Only a concrete war monument remained standing in Pittsfield, where homes "vanished."[130]
Early-May 1965 tornado outbreak sequence – Homes and businesses were leveled and swept away, along with mature trees that were reduced to pulpy "matchsticks". Cars were moved 400–440 yd (0.23–0.25 mi), and the body of a truck was tossed and rolled 2 mi (3.2 km). Grazulis listed this tornado as an F5.[131]
1971 Gosser Ridge, Kentucky tornado – Most buildings on a farm were swept away. The tornado is listed as a "questionable" F5 in the NCDC Tech Report,[45] and is rated an F4 according to Grazulis and official records.[132]
1974 Super Outbreak – This intense tornado caused unverifiable F5 damage when it leveled and swept away several "well constructed homes" in Franklin County.[132] Destroyed roughly 46 homes and 90 barns in just that county alone. Developed from the same thunderstorm that produced the first F5 Tanner tornado.[132] Previously rated F5 by NWS, but later downgraded to F4.[91]
1984 Soviet Union tornado outbreak – An extremely intense multiple-vortex tornado[133] overturned a crane and "tied him into knot", threw a multi-ton water tank over 200 m (660 ft), uprooted and threw trees long distances,[134] and obliterated a reinforced concrete building.[135] The tornado was exceptionally long-lived, remaining on the ground for roughly 100 mi (160 km) over the course of two hours. At least 69 fatalities were confirmed, though the actual toll was likely higher. This tornado was originally rated as an F5, but was downgraded to an F4 in 2018.[136][137]
A National Weather Service damage survey was not conducted due in part to the extensive damage and injuries from another tornado in Pampa, Texas. Four homes were destroyed and more than 800 head of livestock were killed. An NCDC report states that "all sighting reports would place this as an F5 tornado" with storm spotters calling it "one of the biggest and meanest appearing tornadoes they had ever seen." However, this tornado hit few man-made structures and a significant amount of time elapsed before damage could be examined, so it could not be rated higher than F4.[139]
1998 Nashville tornado outbreak – Originally considered part of a very long-tracked F5 tornado but was later determined to have been the first in a series of three separate, violent tornadoes. Multiple homes were reduced to their foundations. Although officially rated an F4, a re-analysis conducted in 2013 by the NWS Office in Nashville noted that the damage in Wayne County may warrant EF5; however, no tornadoes are rated using the enhanced scale that occurred prior to February 2007.[90]
2002 La Plata tornado — Initially rated F5 by the National Weather Service, but was downgraded in a secondary damage survey was conducted by Timothy Marshall. This preliminary F5 rating, partly due to damage to a brick building in downtown La Plata, was lowered to F4, after the damage assessment team determined some of the damage was likely due to flying debris from a lumber company nearby. Damage to houses, initially rated F5, were lowered when an engineering survey determined these homes were not properly anchored, causing them to be swept off their foundations by lesser winds.[140]
Officially rated F4, this tornado struck the farmstead near Marion, North Dakota causing extreme damage. The National Weather Service employee who surveyed the damage from this tornado, Greg Gust, rated the tornado at the "very top of the F4 scale". In an interview in 2016, Gust stated, "if I would have had the EF toolkit at that time I probably would have rated EF5" and "I'd have felt more comfortable going with the F5 rating on that".[141]
2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado – Officially rated high-end EF4, though the final rating was a source of controversy, and one survey team rated some of the damage as EF5. Many homes, a large section of an apartment building, and a clubhouse were swept away, though these structures were either poorly anchored, lacked interior walls, or surrounded by contextual damage not consistent with an EF5 tornado. A manhole cover was removed from a drain and thrown into a ravine near the clubhouse. A 34-ton (68,000 lb; 31,000 kg) railroad trestle support structure was thrown 100 ft (30 m) up a hill, and a 35.8-ton (71,600 lb; 32,500 kg) coal car was thrown 391 ft (119 m) through the air.[95][108] In 2019, Yuko Murayama, Dimiter Velev & Plamena Zlateva edited a book of revised academically peer-reviewed papers, in which they directly rated the Tuscaloosa tornado an EF5.[142]
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 — Officially rated high-end EF4 with winds up to 200 mph (320 km/h), this tornado destroyed or obliterated multiple structures. The National Weather Service noted the structures destroyed were "falling just short of the damage indicator for an EF-5." Kiel Ortega, a National Weather Service damage surveyor discussed with another surveyor saying, "some people believe it should have been rated EF5". In 2019, Yuko Murayama, Dimiter Velev & Plamena Zlateva edited a book of revised academically peer-reviewed papers, in which they directly rated the Washington—Goldsby tornado an EF5.[143]
2013 El Reno tornado — Originally rated as an EF5, which is based on mobile Doppler Weather Radar data of picking up winds of 302 mph (486 km/h).[119] However, the lack of available damage resulted into rating downgrading from EF5 to an EF3. This tornado holds the record for the widest tornado ever recorded at 2.6 miles (4.2 km) wide.[144] In 2019, Yuko Murayama, Dimiter Velev & Plamena Zlateva edited a book of revised academically peer-reviewed papers, in which they directly rated the El Reno tornado an EF5.[142]
Possible F5/EF5 damage
This list includes tornadoes with possible F5 or EF5 damage indicated by the National Weather Service as well as tornadoes with possible F5/EF5 damage by other branches of the United States government, tornado experts (i.e. Thomas P. Grazulis, Ted Fujita), or meteorological research institutions (i.e. European Severe Storms Laboratory).
This tornado has been officially rated at T8-T9 on the TORRO scale, indicating potential windspeeds of up to 269 mph (433 km/h). This places it weakly in the F5 category. The maximum track width of the tornado was reported as 200 m (660 ft), and the track length at 5 km (3.1 mi). The tornado reportedly killed three people, and passed through the towns of: Welbourn, Wellingore, Navenby and Boothby Graffoe, in Lincolnshire, and levelled large portions of each town. It is the strongest tornado on record in the British Isles.[145] This tornado is not documented by the European Severe Storms Laboratory.
1946 Windsor–Tecumseh tornado – This tornado was officially rated F4; however, one home had a portion of its concrete block foundation pulled out of the ground and carried away, indicating borderline F5 damage. Some victims were mutilated, dismembered or stripped of their clothes.[146]
Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence – Possible but unverifiable F5 damage occurred near Cygnet where homes were swept completely away. A steel-and-concrete bridge was destroyed as the tornado passed near Jerry City.[150]
May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak – Most of Fremont was destroyed, with many structures swept away. Possible F5 damage occurred to schools, homes, and businesses near the railroad tracks, but houses in the area were poorly constructed.[153]
Reports indicated possible F5-level damage to homes. A car was thrown 100 yd (91 m), but damage photographs were inconclusive as to whether F5 structural damage occurred. Nevertheless, the tornado was considered to be a probable F5 by Grazulis.[126]
1984 Soviet Union tornado outbreak – Officially rated F4, but survey mentions possible F5 damage. Trees were ripped from the ground and thrown long distances. A 350-ton (700,000 lb; 320,000 kg) industrial crane was blown over.[158]
Edmonton tornado – Heavy trailers and oil tanks were tossed, and large factories were leveled. If confirmed by Environment Canada, this would make it the earliest such tornado since records have been kept, next to the 2007 Elie, Manitoba, tornado.[160]
Bucca tornado — One of the most violent tornadoes ever to have occurred in Australia and was the first Australian tornado to be officially rated F4. The tornado flattened some houses to the ground, trees were snapped and stones were embedded into the trunks. A refrigerator was blown away and never found and a 3-ton truck was thrown 300 m (330 yd). Jeff Callaghan, a retired senior severe weather forecaster for the Bureau of Meteorology conducted a case study on this tornado and said it "was rated a F4 or possible an F5."[161]
This tornado would have likely produced F5 damage had it struck residential areas. Grazulis considered the tornado a candidate for an F6 rating based on photogrammetric video analysis.[162]
1999 Loyal Valley tornado — Officially rated high-end F4, though one survey revealed potential F5 damage.[163] Two homes were completely swept away, with debris scattered over great distances. Large pieces of a pickup truck were found 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km) from the residence where it originated, and a 720-foot (220 m) stretch of pavement was scoured from a road. Ground scouring occurred, and numerous mesquite trees were completely denuded and debarked.[164] A reporter who also witnessed the destruction at Jarrell, Eddie Flores, said: "I hadn't seen anything like that. I couldn't believe what it did to animals. This was wiped clean, too, but the cattle - their hides had been ripped right off of them. Some of them were missing heads, and some were caught up and entwined in barbed wire." Had this tornado touched down in an urban area, the devastation likely would have rivaled that from Oklahoma City or the storm that leveled a subdivision in Jarrell in 1997, - stated meteorologist Bill Hecke.[165]
A well-built farmhouse was erased with little debris left. Trees and shrubs were completely debarked, and cars was torn apart. Chance Haynes from the NWS in Wichita, Kansas rated this tornado as F4 for its very slow movement, but later express regret over the conservative rating.[166][167]
2011 Super Outbreak (list) — Was a precursor to the Smithville EF5 and officially rated as an EF3. However, meteorologist Jen Narramore along with Millersville University undergraduate Nelson Tucker reported that the NWS missed some damage indicators, such as a pickup truck that was thrown 3,000 yd (2.7 km) from US Highway 45-Alternate and landed near the site of a well-built, substantially anchor-bolted brick home that was swept clean from its foundation. Shrubs in front of the home were denuded and partially debarked. Ground and wheat were scoured along a concentrated swath near the home. A home next door, also well-built and bolted, was leveled to the ground.[168]
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 21–26, 2011 – Officially rated a high-end EF4; however, the survey conducted by NWS Norman mentions this tornado as being a "plausible EF5". Well-built homes with anchor bolts were swept away, pavement was scoured from roads and driveways, and vehicles were thrown up to 600 yd (550 m) away, some of which were torn into multiple pieces or stripped down to their frames. Trees were reduced to completely debarked stumps, and severe ground scouring occurred, with all grass and several inches of topsoil removed in some areas. A reinforced concrete dome home was severely damaged and cracked.[95][169][170] In 2019, Yuko Murayama, Dimiter Velev & Plamena Zlateva edited a book of revised academically peer-reviewed papers, in which they directly rated the Chickasha tornado an EF5.[142]
Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012 — A violent stovepipe tornado (often referred to as the "Henryville Tornado") that carved a 49 mi (79 km) path of damage from Fredericksburg, Indiana to the Bedford, Kentucky area. This tornado was officially rated a low-end EF4. In 2022, the National Weather Service of Louisville referred to a possible EF5 damage location at a demolished house, where a pickup truck was blown away and never found and a backhoe was deposited into the basement of the house.[171]
1931 Lublin tornado [simple] — This tornado is officially rated F4; however, the Polish Weather Service estimated winds at 246 to 324 mph (396 to 521 km/h), potentially ranking it as an F5.[137]
Trees were completely debarked, and numerous reinforced concrete factories were leveled. The village of Chuhegang was completely destroyed. This tornado was rated >F3, with indications of possible F4 or F5 intensity.[173][174]
A carport was carried intact to the north while the rest of the house was destroyed with the foundation swept clean. A barn was destroyed and trees still standing were denuded, a flatbed truck rolled over, a car was torn apart with only the frame remaining nearby. A small frame house was also destroyed with its foundation clean.[175][176]
1973 Central Alabama tornado — John Brasher, a reporter and photographer for the Centreville Press, stated that as the tornado struck Main Street in Brent, “the tornado’s already violent F4 winds would ramp up to, and possibly beyond, the threshold of F5 strength”.[177] The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, noted the rating for this tornado was F4 on the Fujita scale, which has a wind speed range of 207 to 260 miles per hour (333 to 418 km/h). However, the wind speeds assigned to this tornado was between 210 and 261 miles per hour (338 and 420 km/h), indicating the potential that this tornado had winds up to F5 intensity.[178]
April 26, 1991 tornado outbreak – Mobile Doppler weather radar used by storm chasers indicated wind speeds in the range of the F5 threshold, with winds up to 268 mph (431 km/h). Pavement and ground scouring occurred, and a large oil rig was toppled. The tornado is officially rated F4, but is mentioned by some sources as an F5 or possible F5.[179]
Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho – DOW recorded maximum wind speeds at 264 mph (425 km/h) at 160 ft (49 m) above ground level, which the NWS classified at almost ground level. Such wind speeds would fall well into the EF5 range on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, though the maximum damage intensity observed in the town of Spencer was F4. The town's water tower was toppled to the ground, an apartment building was leveled, and many homes were completely destroyed, a few of which were swept away.[180]
Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013 – Officially rated EF3. However, a DOW instrument estimated winds inside the tornado at 247 mph (398 km/h), 300 ft (91 m) above the ground.[181] According to the Joshua Wurman, Karen Kosiba, Paul Robinson, and Tim Marshall in their research, the DOW windspeed measurements were found to be 264 mph (425 km/h), 153 ft (47 m) above the ground.[182]
Tornado outbreak of April 27–30, 2014 – Officially rated high-end EF4, though the rating was a major source of controversy, and meteorologist/civil engineer Timothy P. Marshall noted that the rating assigned was "lower-bound" and "the possibility that EF5 winds could have occurred" despite the structural flaws responsible for the EF4 rating.[183][184] Numerous homes were swept completely away with only bare slabs left, including one that was well-bolted to its foundation, and extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred. Trees were completely debarked and denuded, shrubs were shredded and debarked, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and stripped down to their frames. In one instance, a well-built house was swept away, but an EF5 rating was not assigned as it was just one house and it had been struck by debris from other buildings.[185] A large 30,000-pound (14,000 kg) metal fertilizer tank was found approximately 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km) away from where it originated.[183][186][187] Extensive ground scouring occurred as well.[188][189] In 2019, Yuko Murayama, Dimiter Velev & Plamena Zlateva edited a book of revised academically peer-reviewed papers, in which they directly rated the Mayflower—Vilonia tornado an EF5.[142]
Tornado outbreak of May 7–10, 2016 - This tornado was recorded to have attained 218 mph winds in an open field by RaXPol mobile radar. This would have been sufficient to produce EF5 damage had the tornado impacted any substantial structures during this time period.[190] Several homes were swept away at high-end EF3 strength, and many other outbuildings were destroyed as well. An 18-year old and his cousin were able to survive the tornado by taking shelter in an interior bathroom, which was the only standing section of the house after the tornado had impacted it.[191]
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 22–26, 2016 – During the initial stages of development, there was DOW data on this tornado. It intensified from 40 metres per second (89 mph; 140 km/h) to 90 metres per second (201 mph; 320 km/h) in a span of 21 seconds that lasted less than a minute at those velocities. This would have been enough to produce EF5 damage briefly, based on those velocities. As the tornado moved north into a housing addition just west of Dodge City, it showed multiple vortex characteristics and did EF2 damage. One person was seriously hurt in a home that was heavily damaged.[192]
Tornado outbreak sequence of May 22–26, 2016 – An anchor-bolted brick farm home was swept away and was ripped from its foundation so violently that part of the foundation was severely cracked, though the area surrounding the home was not swept completely clean. Vehicles and large pieces of farm machinery were thrown and mangled beyond recognition, and a section of metal railroad track was bent horizontally by the tornado. Officially rated EF4 with winds of 180 mph (290 km/h), though NWS Topeka damage surveyors later noted that based on the severity of the damage in rural areas, it "could have very well been" rated EF5 had it struck Chapman directly.[193][185][194]
The tornado was strong enough to be rated IF4 on the International Fujita scale and F4 on the Fujta scale.[195] Two log homes were leveled to the ground. Researchers at the Russian Academy of Sciences and Perm State University published a paper in the academically peer-reviewed journal Atmosphere, providing an assessment of this tornado in which they state that the tornado possessed EF5 intensity, due to it blowing down or snapping 100% of the trees in a 100-by-100-meter (110 yd) forested area.[196][197]
Tornado outbreak of April 13–15, 2019 — This tornado was officially rated EF2, based on an incomplete damage survey from the National Weather Service, where 8.7 miles (14 km) of the tornado's track was unable to be officially surveyed. A NEXRAD radar only 980 yards (900 m) away from the tornado documented radial velocities of up to 182 mph (293 km/h). A research team, from the University of Oklahoma, National Severe Storms Laboratory, and University of Alabama in Huntsville was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to investigate the unsurveyed portion of the tornado track. In their survey, published in Monthly Weather Review, they note that the tornado "produced forest devastation and electrical infrastructure damage up to at least EF4 intensity" and conclude by writing that "the Greenwood Springs event was a violent tornado, potentially even EF5 intensity."[200]
2021 Western Kentucky tornado — A long-tracked wedge spawned by the Quad-State supercell, that damaged, destroyed, or obliterated thousands of structures along a path of 165.6 mi (266.5 km) while moving at 60 mph (97 km/h). In 2022, Timothy Marshall, a meteorologist, and structural and forensic engineer, Christine L. Wielgos, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Paducah, & Brian E. Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Omaha, published a damage survey of portions of the tornado's track, particularly through Mayfield and Dawson Springs. At the end of the report, they said, "the tornado damage rating might have been higher had more wind resistant structures been encountered. Also, the fast forward speed of the tornado had little 'dwell' time of strong winds over a building and thus, the damage likely would have been more severe if the tornado were slower".[201]
Possible F5/EF5/T10+ tornadoes with no official rating
Many other tornadoes have never been formally rated by an official government source but have nonetheless been described as F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent, often by independent studies. Most of these tornadoes occurred prior to 1950, before tornadoes were rated according to standardized damage assessments, and their unofficial classifications as F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent have been made in retrospect, largely on the basis of photographic analysis and eyewitness accounts. A few, such as the Tri-State Tornado of 1925, are widely accepted as F5/EF5/T10+ tornadoes, despite not being rated as such in official records.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by participating in discussions about tornadoes for this list.
Tornadoes with no official rating, but which may have been F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent
Many "well built" homes were leveled and farms vanished. Its victims (both people and cattle) were reportedly carried up to half a mile. This is the earliest estimated F5 that can be verified in the U.S. according to Grazulis. (The 1953 Waco tornado is the earliest officially rated - see section.) The F5 rating is widely accepted.[92][202][203]
1881 Minnesota tornado outbreak – According to Grazulis, this tornado was "probably" an F5. Severe damage occurred in Renville County where five farms were completely swept away.[205]
Sixteen farms were blown away and the town of Grinnell was devastated, as well as the Grinnell College campus. Debris was carried 100 mi (160 km). Caused 68 fatalities according to Grazulis.[92][206][207]
1883 Rochester tornado – Numerous homes in Rochester were destroyed, some of which were oblitereted and swept away with the debris finely granulated. Trees were completely debarked, and grass and shrubbery was scoured from the ground. A large metal railroad bridge was completely destroyed and mangled. At least 10 farms outside the city were also completely leveled and swept away, with little debris recovered at some of them.[208]
Among contemporary meteorologists, this was considered one of the most intense tornadoes observed up to that time. Parts of Oakville "vanished," with house debris scattered for miles.[209]
1892 Southern Minnesota tornado – Entire farms were obliterated, and house timbers were embedded into the ground 3 mi (4.8 km) away from the foundations.[92][210]
Well-built homes were swept away in four counties with F5 damage in the town of Pomeroy.[92][212] Grass was scoured from the ground, and a metal bridge was torn from its supports. A well pump and 40 ft (12 m) of piping were pulled out of the ground.[206][213]
May 1896 tornado outbreak sequence – This was one of the most intense tornadoes of the 19th century according to Grazulis.[216] "Extraordinary" damage occurred to farms and 20 homes that were obliterated and swept away.[92][217] An iron-beam bridge was torn apart and scattered, with one of the beams deeply embedded into the ground.[218] Trees were reduced to debarked stumps, and grass was scoured from lawns in town as well. Several headstones at a cemetery were shattered or thrown up to 250 yards through the air, and a trunk lid from Sherman was found 35 miles away.[219] Reliable reports said that numerous bodies were carried hundreds of yards,[216] and that multiple deaths occurred in 17 different families; seven deaths were in one family alone.[216][220]
May 1896 tornado outbreak sequence – An opera house in Seneca was swept away, along with some farms. Entire farms were reportedly swept clean of debris, leaving the areas "bare as the prairie."[92][216] Damage estimated at $400,000.[221]
May 1896 tornado outbreak sequence – Houses and farms were leveled and swept away, with debris carried up to 12 mi (19 km) away. Trees were completely debarked, with even small twigs stripped bare in some cases.[92][222][223]
New Richmond tornado – This tornado devastated New Richmond, leveling or sweeping away many homes and businesses.[225] A large section of the town was reduced to nothing but scattered debris and house foundations. The three-story brick Nicollet Hotel was completely leveled to the ground.[226] Numerous trees were completely debarked and shorn of their branches.[226][227] A 3,000-pound (1,400 kg) safe was carried a full block.[225]
Snyder, Oklahoma tornado – The town of Snyder was devastated, with many structures swept away.[92][228] A piano was found in a field 8 mi (13 km) outside town, and debris was carried 60 mi (97 km) away.[229][230]
This tornado is only listed as an F5 by a NCDC technical report,[237] and is not listed at all by Grazulis or any other sources, and is therefore a possible typographical error in the report.
March 1913 tornado outbreak sequence – Photo analysis by Grazulis revealed possible F5 damage with many empty foundations throughout Omaha, though it is uncertain if this was a result of the tornado or cleanup efforts following the event. An F4 rating was assigned due to the uncertainty.[92][239]
The tornado hit only 8 mi (13 km) northwest of downtown Topeka. In the damaged area, homes and farms were swept completely away. A schoolhouse was reduced to an empty stone foundation. Trees were debarked, and heavy farm machinery was carried for miles. Rated F4 by Grazulis.[244]
1919 Fergus Falls tornado – This tornado produced extreme damage in Fergus Falls.[246] A three-block-wide swath was leveled, with some homes swept away.[92][247] Several summer homes were swept away into Lake Alice.[248] A train station was swept away,[248] railroad tracks were ripped from the ground,[246] and a large three-story hotel was completely leveled.[248] Numerous small trees were completely debarked.[246]
1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak – Farms were leveled and swept away in Indiana and Ohio.[249] Some homes had their floors dislodged and moved some distance.[250] Mentioned as a possible F5 by Grazulis.[251]
This tornado family tracked for 112 mi (180 km), killing at least 59 people,[253] and reached a peak width of 2,000 yards (1,800 m; 1.1 mi; 1.8 km).[237] Many homes were leveled, some of which were swept away and scattered across fields. A large concrete fireplace was shifted 3 ft (0.91 m), and a vehicle was thrown 200 yd (180 m) and partially buried into the soil.[254] Tornado is not listed as an F5 by Grazulis.
An entire section of the town was swept away.[255] Bodies or body parts were found up to 1 mi (1.6 km) away.[256] This is the first of only two F5 tornadoes to hit Tennessee, the other having struck Lawrence County on April 16, 1998.[257]
20 farms were destroyed, some of which were obliterated. An entire wall of a home was carried for 14 mi (23 km). Considered to be a probable F5 by Grazulis.[92][260]
Tri-State tornado outbreak – This was the deadliest and longest-tracked single tornado in U.S. history, producing the highest tornado-related death toll in a single U.S. city (234, at Murphysboro, Illinois) and the largest such toll in a U.S. school (33, at De Soto, Illinois).[261] Thousands of structures were destroyed, with hundreds of homes swept away along the path, especially in Illinois and Indiana. The towns of Murphysboro, West Frankfort, Gorham, and Griffin were devastated, along with numerous other small towns and communities.[262] Gorham and Griffin were destroyed entirely, with every single structure in Gorham leveled or swept away.[261][263] Trees were debarked, debris was finely granulated, and deep ground scouring was noted in several areas as well.[263][264] A Model T Ford was thrown a long distance and stripped, railroad tracks were ripped from the ground at multiple locations along the path, and a large multi-ton coal tipple was blown over and rolled.[263][264] The F5 rating is widely accepted.[265][266]
Tri-State tornado outbreak – This event was believed to have been a tornado family and is regarded as one of the most powerful tornadoes to affect Middle Tennessee. Bodies were mangled and hurled hundreds of yards, homes were obliterated, and ground scouring occurred. The tornado may have reached F5 intensity.[267]
Nineteen buildings on two farms reportedly "vanished". This tornado took nearly the same path as the next one, below. It is described as a "possible" F5.[268]
This massive tornado swept away or leveled 235 out of 247 structures, more than 90% of the town, killing or injuring a third of the population. Many of the structures were reduced to bare foundations, leaving "no trace of lumber or contents." Acres of ground were "swept bare" in some parts of town.[55][269]
Three rural schools houses were obliterated, at least one was "swept entirely away".[272] Possible F5 damage, according to Grazulis, was in an area where two farms "were completely leveled".[273] 66 homes and at least another 450 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The tornado caused $1 million in damages.[274]
This tornado is considered the only F5 on record in Arkansas. It destroyed the Sneed community, reduced homes to "splinters", and made a "clean sweep" of the area. Huge trees were snapped or torn apart.[275]
Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak – This tornado leveled and swept away many large and well-constructed houses, killing entire families.[92][278] A concrete war monument was toppled and broken, with nearby brick gate posts snapped off at the base. Granulated structural debris was scattered and wind-rowed for miles east of the city. Pine needles were reportedly driven into tree trunks as well.[279]
All nine homes in a small subdivision "literally vanished", with bodies carried up to .5 mi (0.80 km) away. A car engine, found nearby, was carried for a similar distance. 19 railroad cars were "tossed like toys."[281][92]
Homes were swept away in Champlin and Anoka.[92][283] A car was tossed 300 yd (270 m) and smashed to pieces. As the tornado crossed the Mississippi River, witnesses reported that so much water was sucked into the air that the riverbed was briefly exposed, and that the flow of water was stopped until the tornado reached the opposite bank.[284] Tornado is not listed as an F5 by Grazulis.
Three farms were obliterated, with all buildings and several inches of topsoil swept away. Debris from homes was granulated into splinters "no larger than match sticks."[287]
This long-tracked tornado or tornado family destroyed many homes in both Wisconsin and Illinois. Hundreds of cattle were killed. Rated F4 by Grazulis.[132]
Tornado outbreak of April 12, 1945 – Six hundred buildings were destroyed, and some areas were swept clean of all debris. The F5 rating is widely accepted.[290]
1947 Glazier-Higgins-Woodward tornadoes – Several towns were partially or totally destroyed. Most structures in Glazier were swept away, where shrubbery was debarked, ground scouring occurred, and vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards. In Higgins, a 4½ ton lathe was ripped from its anchors and broken in half.[291] A 20-ton (40,000 lb; 18,000 kg) boiler tank in Woodward was thrown a block and a half. The F5 rating is widely accepted.[292]
This tornado reportedly left more intense damage than the previous event did in Woodward. Many structures were swept away, leaving no debris or grass in some areas. Yards at some residences were stripped of their lawns and all vegetation, and several inches of topsoil were removed as well. The F5 rating is widely accepted, though the tornado was very slow-moving, which may have exacerbated the level of destruction to some extent.[293]
Bulahdelah tornado – Never officially rated, but is thought to have reached F4 or F5 intensity. Left a damage path 21 km (13 mi) long and 1–1.6 km (0.62–0.99 mi) wide through the Bulahdelah State Forest. According to reports, the tornado threw a tractor weighing 2 tonnes (4,400 lb; 2,000 kg) 100 m (330 ft) through the air, depositing it upside-down. It is estimated that the tornado destroyed over one million trees.[294]
^The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[2] The Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007;[3] Canada used the old scale until April 1, 2013;[4] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[5]
^Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[6] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[7] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.[8]
^The winds estimated by the Fujita scale are estimated values and have not been verified scientifically.[10]
"Woldegk". European Severe Weather Database. European Severe Storms Laboratory. Retrieved 2023-07-25. Query criteria: "29-06-1764", tornadoes, "Germany"
"June 29, 1764 German F5/T11 Tornado". European Severe Weather Database. European Severe Storms Laboratory. December 5, 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-05 – via Internet Archive.
Viento Asesino (motion picture). Argentina: unknown. June 19, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
^Mariano Balbi; Pablo Barbieri (2017). "Enfoque Científico del Riesgo – Evaluación del potential de Tornados en Argentina" [Scientific Approach to Risk – Assessment of the Potential For Tornadoes in Argentina] (PDF). Anales de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Buenos Aires [Annals of the National Academy of Sciences of Buenos Aires] (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
^ ab"April 16, 1998 Tornado Outbreak". National Weather Service Office in Nashville, Tennessee. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. April 17, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-23.
^"Event Details -". Storm Events Database. National Centers for Environmental Information.
^ abcJim LaDue; Tim Marshall; Kevin Scharfenberg (2012). "Discriminating EF4 and EF5 Tornado Damage"(PDF). National Weather Service Office in Norman, Oklahoma. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
^ ab"Joplin Tornado Survey". Storm Event Survey. Springfield, MO: National Weather Service. May 22, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
"Tornado Talk Podcast Episode 18: Nightmare in Northwood". YouTube. Tornado Talk. September 3, 2016. Retrieved 2022-11-23. National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Gust: I've had one tornado that was back in 2004 which if I would have had the EF toolkit at that time I probably would have rated 5; EF-5, and I kept it at the very top ended of the F4 scale. But there are some things that you learn through the process and with the EF scale in a few more; a lot more engineering based information in there. I'd have felt more comfortable going with the F5 rating on that.
^"Outstanding Storms of the Month"(PDF). Storm Data and Unusual Phenomenon. National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 41 (5). May 1999. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2014-03-11. Retrieved 2014-11-28.
^"April 27, 2014 Arkansas tornado surveys"(.KML). National Weather Service Office in Little Rock, Arkansas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. May 1, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
^"Maloye Pes'yanovo Kurganskaya oblast'". European Severe Weather Database. European Severe Storms Laboratory. Retrieved 2022-09-05. Query criteria: "18-06-2017", tornadoes, "Russian Federation"
^Timothy P. Marshall; Zachary B. Wienhoff; Brian E. Smith; Christine L. Wielgos (October 2022). "Damage Survey of the Mayfield, KY Tornado: 10 December 2021". AMS 30th Conference on Severe Local Storms. American Meteorological Society: 1–13. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
^"Sherman's Black Friday: Texas Tornado 1896". YesterYear Once More. February 10, 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2023-07-28. Includes two newspaper stories: • "Death Rode the Gale; Several Texas Towns Visited by a Fearful Cyclone Yesterday". Leadville Daily and Evening Chronicle. May 16, 1896. • "The Texas Cyclone; Further Reports of the Terrible Destruction Wrought. Additional Returns Only Add to the Horrors of the Catastrophe". Bangor Daily Whig and Courier. May 18, 1896.
—; Abbey, Jr., Robert F. (1983) [1981]. "Chapter 3: Tornadoes: The Tornado Outbreak of 3–4 April 1974". In Kessler, Edwin (ed.). The Thunderstorm in Human Affairs (2nd ed.). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 37–66.
Gordon, John D.; Boyd, Bobby; Rose, Mark A.; et al. (2000). "The Forgotten F5: The Lawrence County Supercell During the Middle Tennessee Tornado Outbreak of 16 April 1998"(PDF). National Weather Digest. National Weather Association. 24 (4): 3–10. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-12-18. The authors sent a detailed letter to the SPC recommending the two tornadoes from 1974, and the 1952 tornado mentioned above, be downgraded to F4. The SPC agreed to all three of these changes. The SPC database now reflects the conclusions of Professor Fujita's map of 1974, and Grazulis 1952 tornado report (1993). ... The authors suggested that the three former F5 tornadoes in Tennessee should be reclassified as F4. These changes have been adopted, making the 16 April 1998 Lawrence County tornado the only documented F5 in the history of Tennessee.
— (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN1-879362-03-1.
Jordan, Charles (1987). Jordan, Teofista A. (ed.). April 3, 1974: A Night to Remember(PDF). Moulton, Alabama: Southern Printing. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-03 – via National Weather Service.
Marshall, Timothy P.; Jungbluth, Karl A.; Baca, Abigail (August 2008). The Parkersburg, IA Tornado: 25 May 2008(PDF). 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Savannah, GA. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
—; McCarthy, Daniel; LaDue, James (August 2008). Damage survey of the Greensburg, KS tornado(PDF). 24th Conference on Severe Local Storms. Savannah, GA. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
Ortega, Kiel L.; Bluestein, H.; Burgess, D. W.; Garfield, G. S.; LaDue, J. G.; Manross, K. L.; Smith, B. R.; Smith, R.; Smith, T. M.; Snyder, J. C.; Stumpf, G. J. (January 25, 2012). Overview of the 24 May 2011 tornado outbreak. 92nd American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (January 22–26, 2012).
