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F5 and EF5 are essentially the same thing. They are equivalent levels on two different, albeit similar scales of tornado intensity. Both the Fujita (F) scale and the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale used damage to estimate wind speed, but the EF scale has better wind estimates for its damage levels.
F5 is the highest category on the Fujita scale with the main damage criterion being well built houses wiped clean off their foundations. The wind speed estimate for this degree of damage was 261-318 mph. However, when the Fujita scale was created in 1971 nobody had ever measured the winds of a tornado so we had no way of knowing how accurate these estimates were.
Similar to F5, EF5 is the highest level on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The damage criteria are essentially the same (e.g. ell built houses blown away), though there is more detail and the construction standars needed are somewhat higher. However the wind speed estimate has been lowered to 201+ mph. The lower wind estimate leads some people to think that an EF5 isn't as strong as an F5, but this is not true. It turns out that on the original scale the wind estimates for F3 damage and higher, were too high. So instead of taking a 261 mph wind to completely blow away a house, as was thought until the 21st century, it only takes a wind of about 200 mph.
Because of the higher construction standards it is somewhat harder for a tornado to attain an EF5 rating than an F5 rating. One researcher has examined several EF4 tornadoes in recent years and concluded that they would likely have been rated F5 had they occurred when the original Fujita scale was still in effect.
What else can I help you with?
What is the highest tornado category?
The highest category tornado is a F5 or EF5
Has there ever been an F5 tornado in Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee had an F5 tornado on March 23, 1923 and another on April 16, 1998. Also of note is an EF5 tornado that moved into Tennessee on April 27, 2011 but by that time had weakened below EF5 strength. All the EF5 damage from that tornado took place in Alabama.
What is the most powerful type of tornado called?
The most powerful category of tornado is F5 on the Fujita scale or EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
How many f-5 tornadoes were there in April and May in 2011?
There have been estimated at least 109 F5 tornadoes in the U.S. Since the introduction of the Enhanced Fujita scale there have been 9 EF5 tornadoes, which is essentially equivalent to an F5. Note that this number should be taken with a grain of salt as it can be difficult to distinguish between F4 and F5 damage, especially in records that must be evaluated based on historical accounts.
What is the F5 tornado for the year of 2010?
There were no F5 or EF5 tornadoes in 2010. Some suspect that the Bowdle, South Dakota tornado of May 22 may have reached EF5 intensity. However, it did little damage as it moved over open country, and so could not be rated higher than EF4.
Has Florida ever had an F5 or EF5 tornado?
No. Florida has never recorded an F5 or EF5 tornado.
What is the rarest tornado rating?
The rarest tornado rating is F5 or EF5.
Is there a category six tornado?
No. The highest rating a tornado can get is F5 or EF5.
What is the record for an f5 tornado for the year 2010?
There were no F5 or EF5 tornadoes in 2010.
What was the most recent F5 tornado?
The most recent F5/EF5 tornado was the Moore, Oklahoma tornado of May 20, 2013.
Can Kentucky have an EF5 tornado?
Yes, it has had F5 tornadoes in the past.
What was the last time an f5 tornado hit Iowa?
The last F5 or EF5 tornado in Iowa was on May 25, 2008 when a large tornado caused EF5 damage in the towns of Parkersburg and New Hartford, Iowa.
Is it possible for an EF5 tornado to hit New york?
It is possible but quite unlikely. No F5 or EF5 tornado has ever been recorded in the State of New York, but there have been a few F4 tornadoes. One tornado in Massachusetts in 1953 was possibly an F5.
What type of tornado is the most damaging?
The F5 (or EF5 as of February 2007) tornado is the most damaging category.
Did Ada Oklahoma ever have an F5 or EF5 tornado before?
No. There have been no F5 tornadoes recorded in or near Ada.
Was the largest tornado that ever hit Colorado an EF5 tornado?
No, Colorado has never recorded an F5 or EF5 tornado, the strongest was an F4. The largest tornado (by path width) on record in Colorado was rated EF3.
Can someone survive being picked up by an EF5 slash F5 tornado and thrown by an EF5 slash F5 and live?
Yes. People have survived such encounters. However, most do not.
