Tornadoes are ranked from EF-0 to EF-5. Meteorologists determine the tornado’s wind speed and strength by looking at the damage left behind a suspected tornado. The list below is the Enhanced Fujita Scale or EF-Scale.
EF-0: Wind speeds between 65-85 miles per hour.
EF-1: Wind speeds between 86-110 miles per hour
EF-2: Wind speeds between 111-135 miles per hour
EF-3: Wind speeds between 136-165 miles per hour
EF-4: Wind speeds between 166-200 miles per hour
EF-5: Wind speeds over 200 miles per hour
The EF-Scale is a set of wind estimates and not measurements.
The National Weather Service sends out a team of meteorologists to survey the damage left behind a storm. The meteorologist rate the damage based on 28 types of structures and features when they head out and survey the damage. Some of the structures they look at would be barns, homes, buildings, and trees. They compare the damage left behind on these objects and they can determine how fast the wind speed is by the damage done to them.