The Fujita Scale: What Does It Really Tell Us About Tornadoes?

Over the past several years, the media has used The Fujita Scale, or F-scale, to describe tornadoes that occur in the United States. The F-scale was invented by the late Dr. Ted Fujita to strictly evaluate damage caused by tornadoes, not to describe the tornadoes themselves.

This presentation will review the particulars of the Fujita Scale and explain how damage assessments are made to assign an F-Scale number to tornado damage. We will also explain some arguments and misgivings about the methods used to evaluate tornado damage and how those in the media should be cautious when presenting explanations to the public in describing tornadoes.