The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, with US tornado counts by rating

The EF scale rates a tornado from EF0 to EF5 by the damage it leaves. The National Weather Service has used it since February 1, 2007; earlier tornadoes carry ratings on the original Fujita (F) scale.

Of the 71,832 rated US tornadoes from 1950 through 2025 in the NOAA Storm Prediction Center record, 81% were rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Only 656 (0.9%) reached F4/EF4 or F5/EF5, yet those tornadoes caused 3,892 of the 6,341 tornado deaths (61%). 60 tornadoes have been rated F5 or EF5, the most recent on June 20, 2025.

EF scale wind speeds and tornadoes per rating

Wind speeds: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Scale (operational EF scale and the F scale's 3-second gust equivalents). Counts, deaths and path lengths: our tally of the SPC tornado database.

What the ratings measure

The Storm Prediction Center describes the EF scale as a set of wind estimates, not measurements, based on damage: National Weather Service surveyors judge 8 levels of damage to 28 damage indicators (kinds of buildings, towers and trees). A rating therefore depends on what the tornado hit as well as how strong it was. In the SPC record, 1,525 tornadoes since February 2007 have an unknown rating (EFU).

Every F5 and EF5 tornado since 1950

See the US tornado history for the deadliest and longest tornadoes, and each state's map of tornado paths.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Severe Weather Database (SVRGIS) tornado file, 1950–2025, and SPC preliminary storm reports for 2026 (data through November 6, 2026). Ratings are the ones the National Weather Service assigned: Fujita (F) scale before Feb 1, 2007, Enhanced Fujita (EF) after. Paths are drawn as straight lines from the start to the end point SPC records; real paths curve. City and county boundaries: US Census Bureau.