They can have wind speeds up to about 318 mph.
Big tornadoes are usually strong, but not always. A large, poorly organized tornado is not likely to be very strong. Some tornadoes even weaken as they expand.
In the United States, strong tornadoes, counted as those rated F2 or higher, account for about 11% of all tornadoes.
Tornadoes are sometimes divided into "weak" tornadoes "strong" and "violent" tornadoes. Weak tornadoes are those rated EF0 and EF1. Most tornadoes are weak. Strong tornadoes are those rated EF2 and EF3. Violent tornadoes are those rated EF4 and EF5. They are the rarest of tornadoes, only about 1% of tornadoes are this strong.
By how strong the tornado is. Even though strong tornadoes tend to be larger how strong a tornado is does not determine its size. Relatively weak tornadoes have been very large and extremely strong tornadoes have been relatively small.
About 20% of tornadoes are rated as strong (EF2 or stronger).
Yes. Maryland has had tornadoes as strong as F4.
Most of the tornadoes in California are weak , though a few strong ones have occurred, some as strong as F3.
Yes, there are tornadoes in California as strong as F3.
Yes. New Jersey has had tornadoes as strong as F3.
Just about. If a place can get strong thunderstorms it can get tornadoes.
As with all places, most tornadoes in Wisconsin are weak. Wisconsin has had its fair share of strong tornadoes, though not as many as in Tornado Alley. A few tornadoes in the state have been rated F5.
Yes, some strong tornadoes create brief satellite tornadoes that circle the main funnel.