Dr. T. Theodore Fujita first
introduced The Fujita Scale in the SMRP Research
Paper, Number 91, published in February 1971 and
titled, "Proposed Characterization of Tornadoes
and Hurricanes by Area and Intensity". Fujita
revealed in the abstract his dreams and intentions
of the F-Scale. He wanted something that categorized
each tornado by intensity and area. The scale
was divided into six categories:
- F0 (Gale)
- F1 (Weak)
- F2 (Strong)
- F3 (Severe)
- F4 (Devastating)
- F5 (Incredible)
Dr. Fujita's goals in his research in developing
the F-Scale were
- categorize each tornado by its intensity and
its area
- estimate a wind speed associated with the
damage caused by the tornado
Dr. Fujita and his staff showed the value of the
scale's application by surveying every tornado from
the Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974. The F-Scale
then became the mainstay to define every tornado
that has occurred in the United States. The F-Scale
also became the heart of the tornado database that
contains a record of every tornado in the United
States since 1950. |
