List of F5, EF5, and IF5 tornadoes

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-f5--ef5--and-if5-tornadoes

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the rarity of EF5 events?EF5 tornadoes are the rarest category, representing the most extreme tornado events
2. What is an EF5 tornado?An EF5 tornado is the most powerful type, with winds over 200 mph, and can lift and move big houses and cars.
3. Why do scientists use the Fujita scale?Scientists use the Fujita scale to give each tornado a number that shows how much damage it can cause, so they can warn people and study storms better.

Fujita Scale: A damage-based scale developed by Dr. Tetsuya Fujita to estimate tornado wind speeds and intensity.
Enhanced Fujita Scale: A refined scale that uses more precise damage indicators and wind speed correlations to rate tornado intensity.
Supercell Thunderstorm: A powerful, long-lived thunderstorm characterized by a rotating updraft (mesocyclone), often producing violent tornadoes.
Damage Indicators (DIs): Specific types of damage observed on structures and natural features used to estimate tornado wind speeds on the EF scale.