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Writer's pictureBrandon Shipp

All about EF-4 and EF-5 Tornadoes and a list of the ones in the United States


According to the National Weather Service, winds in an EF-4 tornado are estimated to be between 166 and 200 mph, while EF-5 tornadoes have estimated winds of more than 200 mph. In the case of an EF-4, well-constructed homes can be swept off their foundation, vehicles can be thrown considerable distances and trains can be swept off their tracks. The damage from an EF-5 tornado is catastrophic. Homes and businesses are swept away, trees are debarked, vehicles are mangled and skyscrapers sustain major damage. Even the grass can be ripped out of the ground. EF-4 and EF-5 tornadoes are among the rarest tornado ratings on earth. In the United States, there were only 572 EF-4 and 59 EF-5 tornadoes between 1950 and 2019. So, that works out to an average of about eight EF-4 tornadoes in the U.S. each year. For EF-5 tornadoes, the U.S. yearly average is less than one. The latest EF-4 Tornadoes occurred in Kentucky, Western Tennessee, Northeast Arkansas and in parts of Georgia see more information below. The Newnan Georgia tornado was rated EF-4 which hit at night. The last rated EF-5 tornado happened in Moore, Oklahoma, on May 20, 2013. There were several EF-4 and EF-5 Tornadoes during the 2011 tornado outbreak some of which occurred in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.






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