What scale measures tornado damage intensity?

The Enhanced Fujita scale measures tornado intensity by evaluating the damage a tornado causes. Survey teams compare observed damage with standardized damage indicators and degrees of damage, then assign a rating from EF0 through EF5; EFU is used when a tornado cannot be rated from available evidence.

The scale replaced the original Fujita scale in the United States on February 1, 2007. It was developed through work from 2000 to 2004 by meteorologists, engineers, and wind researchers. The revision improved descriptions of structural damage, accounted more explicitly for construction quality, and revised the wind-speed estimates associated with each category.

Despite its wind-speed ranges, the EF scale is fundamentally a damage-based estimate, not a direct measurement of the tornado’s maximum wind. A tornado crossing open land may receive a low or undetermined rating because it leaves few damage indicators, even if its winds were powerful.

The Richter scale measures earthquake magnitude, Beaufort describes wind force generally, and the Saffir–Simpson scale rates tropical cyclones. None is the standard tornado damage scale.