Yes, tornadoes very often change intensity. Even the strongest tornadoes usually start at F0 or F1 strength. When a tornado is given a final rating it is based on how strong it was at its peak, even if it only reaches that strength for a very short time.
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F3 and F4 refer to ratings on the Fujita scale, which measures the strength of a tornado based on the severity of the damage it causes. It has six categories ranging from F0 at the weakest, causing minor damage, to F5 at the strongest, causing total devastation. F3 on the scale indicates a strong tornado that will partially or mostly destroy well-built houses, but leave some walls standing. F4 indicates a violent tornado that will completely level well-built houses.
No. While F3 tornadoes can be deadly they are not the deadliest. F5 tornadoes are the most destructive and generally the deadliest. The highest death toll from an F3 tornado in the U.S. since 1950 was 25, compared with nine F4 and F5 tornadoes with death tolls upwards of 50 of which three (all F5 or EF5) killed more than 100 apiece.
Absolutely yes. In 2008 an EF4 tornado hit the town of Hautmont. In 1967 a tornado outbreak hit France,Belgium and Netherlands producing an F5 tornado in Palluel and an F4 tornado in Pommereuil with a width of 2.5 km (1.6 mi). On June 3, 1902 an F3/F4 tornado hit Javaugues reaching a width of 3 km (1.9 mi). (The largest on record in Europe) and finally in 1845 an F5 tornado hit the town of Montville, the strongest on record in Europe. In addition to these, weak tornadoes occur fairly regularly.
The Dimmitt, Texas tornado of April 14, 2017 was rated EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, equivalent to an F3 on the Fujita scale. The tornado itself was estimated to be a little bit over a mile wide.
Yes. Tornadoes, some of them devastating, can and do occur in Ontario. Two notable ones are the Windsor F3 tornado of April 3, 1974 Barrie F4 tornado of May 31, 1985.
No. First of all, there seems to be a some confusion here. The Oak lawn tornado outbreak was not a tornado, it was an outbreak of at least 45 tornadoes across the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Second, the F4 tornado that struck Oak Lawn was not the only tornado in the area of Chicago. Among other events, an F3 tornado struck downtown Chicago in 1871, an F4 tornado hit Bolingbrook in 1976, and an F5 tornado hit Plainfield in 1990.
The 1973 Brisbane tornado was an F3. A strong F3 tornado can lift trees into the air.
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The estimated wind range for an F4 tornado is 207-260 mph. On the Enhanced Fujita scale this was change to 166-200 mph for an EF4 tornado.
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An F4 or higher tornado (the only higher rating being F5) is classified as violent.