The general damage indicator for an F4 tornado is well built houses completely leveled and left as piles of rubble.
In the U.S. this has been replace by the EF4 category, which is on a somewhat less arbitrary scale. While the overall damage is essentially the same, more factors are taken into account such as quality of construction. On the new Enhanced Fujita scale an EF4 rating is given to a tornado with estimated peak winds in the range of 166 to 200 mph.
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∙ 12y agoThe 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.
An F4 tornado can be quite devastating. The typical damage indicator for an F4 tornado is well-constructed houses that are completely leveled. Even structures not impacted by the strongest winds of the tornado are likely to be severely damaged. Although it is not always the case, F4 tornadoes are often quite large, often over a quarter of a mile wide, with a fair number growing to over a mile across. This means that they can create large swaths of damage. In some cases entire towns may be destroyed. Although most tornadoes that go down in history are in the F5 category, a few F4 tornadoes have made the list as well.
166 to 200mph on the enhanced fujita scale 207 to 261 on the regular fujita scale
The Fujita scale actually classifies tornadoes based on the amount of damage they do to buildings and plants. If a small tornado with extremely high winds and a small footprint takes out a farmhouse and a corn field, it's bad. But if a tornado that has winds not as high as that small one but has a footprint a quarter mile across sweeps through a town and shreds it, that's much worse. The former tornado will have a rating lower on the Fujita scale than the latter one will. Note that the damage assessment and the application of a Fujita scale rating will come after the tornado has passed.
Storms are classified as tornadoes when winds are from 40 mph to 72 mph. These tornadoes cause light damage, chimney damage, and broken tree branches.
The Goliad, Texas tornado was an F4.
An F4 or higher tornado (the only higher rating being F5) is classified as violent.
The F4 tornado that hit Hamden, Connecticut in 1989 struck on July 10.
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.
The Hallam, Nebraska tornado was rated F4
An F4 tornado can be devastating. An F4 tornado will level well-built houses and strip bark from trees. Such tornadoes have been known to wipe out large sections of cities and towns. While most of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history have been F5s, several F4 tornadoes are on that list as well.
The infamous 1979 Wichita Falls tornado was an F4.
It usually takes at least an F4 tornado to flatten houses.
Yes. F4 is the second strongest category on the Fujita scale, indicating an extremely powerful tornado that can completely level well-built homes.
An F4 tornado moved along the northern part of the San Antonio area on April 28, 1953, killing one person.
There have been a number of tornadoes that have stuck St. Louis including a few F4 tornadoes. The most significant tornado to strike the city, which occurred on May 27, 1896 and killed 255 was an F4.
An F4 tornado can be a quarter of a mile wide, but that is by no means a requirement. Tornado ratings are based on the severity of the damage, not the size of the tornado. There is a tendency for violent tornadoes to be large, but they don't have to be. A path width of 1/4 mile would not be uncommon for an F4, but sizes have ranged from as small as 100 yards to as wide as 2.5 miles.