List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes

This is a list of tornadoes rated F5 on the Fujita scale, EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, IF5 on the , or T10-T11 on the TORRO scale, which is equivalent to an F5 rating. These ratings (F5/EF5/IF5/T10/T11) are the highest possible ratings on the various global tornado intensity scales. These various scales attempt to estimate the strength of a tornado by classifying the damage caused to nature and man-made structures in the tornado's path.

Tornadoes are among the most violent known meteorological phenomena. Each year, more than 2,000 tornadoes are recorded worldwide, with the majority occurring in North America and Europe. In order to assess the intensity of these events, meteorologist Ted Fujita created a way to estimate highest wind speeds within tornadic storms based on the damage caused; this became known as the Fujita scale. The scale ranks tornadoes from F0 to F5, with F0 being the least intense and F5 being the most intense. F5 tornadoes were estimated to have had maximum winds between 261-318 mph (420–512 kilometers per hour).   

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Following two particularly devastating tornadoes in 1997 and 1999, engineers questioned the reliability of the Fujita scale. Ultimately, a new scale was created that considered 28 different damage indicators; this became known as the Enhanced Fujita scale.Multiple sources: The Enhanced Fujita scale is used almost entirely in North America. Most of Europe, however, uses the TORRO tornado intensity scale (TORRO scale or T-Scale), which ranks tornado intensity between T0 and T11; F5/EF5 tornadoes are about the same to T10 to T11 on the T-Scale.

In the United States, between 1950 and January 31, 2007, a total of 50 tornadoes were officially rated F5, and since February 1, 2007, a total of nine tornadoes have been officially rated EF5. Since 1950, Canada has had one tornado officially rated an F5. Outside the United States and Canada, seven tornadoes have been officially rated F5/EF5/T10+ or equivalent: two each in France, Germany, and one in Italy, Argentina and Australia.

Several other tornadoes have also been documented as possibly attaining this status, though they are not officially rated as such. The work of tornado expert  revealed the existence of several dozen likely F5 tornadoes between 1880 and 1995. Grazulis also called into question the ratings of several tornadoes currently rated F5 by official sources. Many tornadoes officially rated F4/EF4 have been questioned and described as actual F5/EF5/T10+ tornadoes, and vice versa; since structures are completely destroyed in both cases, distinguishing between an EF4 tornado and an EF5 tornado is often very difficult.Multiple sources: Additionally, because tornado ratings are damage-based, many tornadoes capable of causing F5/EF5/T10+ damage, such as those that move through rural areas, may receive lower ratings because their strongest winds do not strike any suitable damage indicators.Multiple sources:

List of events
The tornadoes on this list have been formally rated F5 by an official government source. Unless otherwise noted, the source of the F5 rating is the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS), as shown in the archives of the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

Before 1950, assessments of F5 tornadoes are based primarily on the work of Thomas P. Grazulis. The NCDC has accepted 38 of his F5 classifications of tornadoes occurring between 1880 and 1950. In addition to the accepted ones, Grazulis rated a further 25 during the same period which were not accepted. Grazulis' work has identified 16 additional F5 tornadoes between 1950 and 1995, with four later being accepted by the NCDC. From 1950 to 1970, tornadoes were assessed retrospectively, primarily using information recorded in government databases, as well as newspaper photographs and eyewitness accounts. Beginning in 1971, tornadoes were rated by the NWS using on-site damage surveys.

As of February 1, 2007, tornadoes in the United States are rated using the Enhanced Fujita scale, which replaced the Fujita scale in order to more accurately correlate tornadic intensity with damage indicators and to augment and refine damage descriptors. No earlier tornadoes will be reclassified on the Enhanced Fujita scale, and no new tornadoes in the United States will be rated on the original Fujita scale. France and Canada also adopted the EF-Scale in the next few years. Since the creation of the International Fujita scale in 2018, no tornadoes have been rated IF5.

Official F5/EF5 tornadoes
Worldwide, a total of 67 tornadoes have been officially rated F5/EF5: 59 in the United States, two each in France and Germany, and one each in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Italy. Of the 59 tornadoes in the United States, 50 are officially rated F5 on the original Fujita scale (with dates of occurrence between May 11, 1953, and May 3, 1999), and nine are officially rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale (with dates of occurrence between May 4, 2007, and May 20, 2013). In total, the United States produces almost 90% of the worlds strongest tornados (F5/EF5). 

1764 Woldegk tornado
1800 Hainichen tornado
1845 Montville tornado
1876 Bowen tornado
1899 New Richmond tornado
1925 Tri-State Tornado
1930 Treviso–Udine tornado
1953 Waco tornado
1953 Fort Rice tornado
1953 Flint–Beecher tornado
1953 Adair tornado
1953 Vicksburg tornado
1955 Blackwell tornado
1955 Udall tornado
1956 Hudsonville–Standale tornado
1957 Kansas City tornado
1957 Fargo tornado

1958 Colfax tornado
1960 Prague–Paden tornado
1964 Wichita Falls tornado
1964 Central Nebraska tornado
1965 Colome tornado
1966 Candlestick Park tornado
1966 Topeka tornado
1966 Belmond tornado
1967 Palluel tornado
1968 Wheelers­burg–Gallipolis tornado
1968 Charles City tornado
1968 Oelwein–Maynard tornado
1968 Tracy tornado
1970 Lubbock tornado
1971 Inverness tornado
1973 San Justo tornado
1973 Valley Mills tornado
1974 Depauw–Daisy Hill tornado
1974 Xenia tornado
1974 Brandenburg tornado
1974 Sayler Park tornado
1974 First Tanner tornado
1974 Second Tanner tornado
1974 Guin tornado
1976 Spiro tornado
1976 Brownwood tornado
1976 Jordan tornado
1977 Birmingham tornado
1982 Messer–Golden–Broken Bow tornado
1984 Barneveld–Black Earth tornado
1985 Niles–Wheatland tornado
1990 Hesston tornado
1990 Goessel tornado
1990 Plainfield tornado
1991 Andover tornado
1992 Chandler–Lake Wilson tornado
1996 Oakfield tornado
1997 Jarrell tornado
1998 Birmingham tornado
1998 Lawrence County tornado
1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado
2007 Elie tornado
2007 Greensburg tornado
2008 Parkersburg–New Hartford tornado
2011 Philadelphia tornado
2011 Smithville tornado
2011 Hackleburg–Phil Campbell tornado
2011 Rainsville tornado
2011 El Reno - Piedmont tornado
2011 Joplin tornado
2013 Moore tornado
2025 Enderlin tornado

Possible F5/EF5 tornadoes officially rated lower
The process to rate tornadic damage is often difficult. Because of the difficulty, the official ratings of tornadoes are sometimes questioned by others. These may be questioned by other meteorologists, universities and colleges, as well as independent studies published in academic journals.

Previously rated F5/EF5 tornadoes or rated F5/EF5 by others
This is a list of tornadoes. Tornadoes on this list may have been previously rated F5 or EF5 by the official government damage surveyors. Tornadoes on this list may have also been rated F5 or EF5 by some other meteorologist or expert.

1876 Bradford tornado
1952 Byhalia–Moscow tornado
1953 Worcester tornado
1960 Wamego–St. Marys tornado
1961 Custer–Valley County tornado
1965 Dunlap tornado
1965 Lebanon–Sheridan tornado
1965 Pittsfield–Strongsville tornado
1965 Wolbach–Primrose tornado
1971 Gosser Ridge tornado
1974 Lincoln–Franklin County tornado
1984 Ivanovo tornado
1995 McLean–Kellerville tornado
1995 Allison tornado
1998 Hardin–Wayne County tornado
2002 La Plata tornado
2004 Marion tornado
2011 Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornado
2011 Goldsby tornado
2011 Chickasha tornado
2013 El Reno tornado
2014 Vilonia tornado
2021 Mayfield - Bremen tornado
2023 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado

Possible EF5 damage
This is a list of tornadoes which had possible F5 or EF5 damage. The ratings of possible F5 or EF5 damage could come from the National Weather Service, other branches of the U.S. government, or other tornado experts.

1666 Lincolnshire tornado
1946 Windsor–Tecumseh tornado
1951 Olney tornado
1951 Waupaca tornado
1952 Linwood–Edwardsville tornado
1953 Cygnet tornado
1954 Crowell–Snyder tornado
1955 Walcott tornado
1957 Rush City tornado
1957 Fremont tornado
1957 Pavia tornado
1958 El Dorado tornado
1963 Swett–Patricia tornado
1964 Lawrence tornado
1968 Falmouth–Ripley tornado
1984 Kostroma tornado
1985 Parker Dam State Park–Moshannon State Forest tornado
1987 Edmonton tornado
1989 Allendale tornado
1991 Hackney–Tisdale tornado
1992 Bucca tornado
1995 Pampa tornado

2004 Harper tornado
2011 New Wren–Amory tornado
2011 Chickasha–Blanchard tornado
2012 Henryville tornado
2020 Cookeville tornado

Possible EF5 intensity
This is a list of tornadoes which may have or did reached F5 or EF5 strength. These tornadoes did not caused F5 or EF5 damage. However, experts or scientists have determined these tornadoes reached F5 or EF5 intensity or think they did.

1931 Lublin tornado
1957 Dallas tornado
1969 Bazhou–Tianjin tornado
1973 Union City tornado

1991 Red Rock tornado
1998 Spencer tornado
2013 Bennington tornado
2014 Mayflower–Vilonia tornado
2016 Sulphur tornado
2016 Friend tornado
2016 Dodge City tornado
2016 Abilene–Chapman tornado
2017 Maloye Pes'yanovo tornado
2018 Alonsa–Silver Ridge tornado
2019 Nepal tornado
2019 Greenwood Springs tornado

2023 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado

Notes

References

Sources



Further reading

Other websites
 Climatological Risk of Strong and Violent Tornadoes in the United States (Paper 9.4, Second Conference on Environmental Applications)
 Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Climatology (NSSL)
 Fujita Scale
 Extreme Weather at the CBC.ca Archives
 List of strong tornadoes from 1879 to 2000

Category:Tornadoes
Category:Weather lists