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Enhanced Fujita Ratings Debate Thread

OH-IOan said:
View attachment 43096
Ah... this is fine. (This is a real DI from the DAT, by the way, as much as it looks like vandalism!)
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“Home swept away at low end Ef2 intensity” is an absurd sentence.

Even if the home was built like a rotten hut, the debarked/denuded tree stubs, clean slab, and debris granulation should’ve gotten this property rated at very least 145-150mph ef3.

This is going below lower bound, this is pretty much ignoring how the EF scale works entirely.
 
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jiharris0220 said:
“Home swept away at low end Ef2 intensity” is an absurd sentence.

Even if the home was built like a rotten hut, the debarked/denuded tree stubs, clean slab, and debris granulation should’ve gotten this property rated at very least 150-160mph ef3.

This is going below lower bound, this is pretty much ignoring how the EF scale works entirely.
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And it’s completely accurate, too! The home was swept away, and damage at the location received a lower-end EF2 rating. It’s absurd.
 
Contrary to the horrible Grinnell survey, I have been looking at the London survey so far and I must say that I am quite impressed! There are already hundreds of damage indicators on the DAT all with reasonable ratings and good pictures to support them. Definitely a great application of the EF-scale and I am definitely curious as to see what those EF4 DIs look like.
 
OH-IOan said:
And it’s completely accurate, too! The home was swept away, and damage at the location received a lower-end EF2 rating. It’s absurd.
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Just to be clear, not doubting that this home failed at low end ef2 wind speeds.
1747936353789.png
It might as well be a mobile home with how it’s constructed, definitely wouldn’t survive winds above a 100mph.

But the problem is the contextuals, weak ef2 winds wouldn’t be able to completely sweep the slab clean, nor would they be able to debark these evergreens or granulate the debris to that degree.

And even if the home was shoddy, the lowest you can go for a completely swept away home on the EF scale is 140mph ef3, this is far below lower bound.

Edit: actually about my last point, there is an exception if the house in question shifts off its foundation, then a low end Ef2 rating can be applied.
 
Here’s the fix. Remove the unspoken rule that tree’s can’t be rated EF4 without structural EF4 damage from all office policies.
Need I remind surveying offices that tree’s have been known to tank violent wedge tornadoes almost completely intact in the past?
(Cough TIV 2 intercept video cough cough)
Tree’s can be far more resistant without debris loading.
 
jiharris0220 said:
Just to be clear, not doubting that this home failed at low end ef2 wind speeds.
View attachment 43102
It might as well be a mobile home with how it’s constructed, definitely wouldn’t survive winds above a 100mph.

But the problem is the contextuals, weak ef2 winds wouldn’t be able to completely sweep the slab clean, nor would they be able to debark these evergreens or granulate the debris to that degree.

And even if the home was shoddy, the lowest you can go for a completely swept away home on the EF scale is 140mph ef3, this is far below lower bound.

Edit: actually about my last point, there is an exception if the house in question shifts off its foundation, then a low end Ef2 rating can be applied.
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Reminds me of Emporia 1990. That tornado swept a well built home clean in a Black Creek-esque fashion, and still only got F2. That particular instance would more reasonably be F4.

1990 also had 2 of the strongest tornadoes to ever form get F4 ratings for some reason. Meanwhile, though the tornado was rightfully rated, the Plainfield tornado was rated F5 off of corn of all things. Not even the insane vehicle damage. Just the corn.
 
Lake Martin EF4 said:
Reminds me of Emporia 1990. That tornado swept a well built home clean in a Black Creek-esque fashion, and still only got F2. That particular instance would more reasonably be F4.

1990 also had 2 of the strongest tornadoes to ever form get F4 ratings for some reason. Meanwhile, though the tornado was rightfully rated, the Plainfield tornado was rated F5 off of corn of all things. Not even the insane vehicle damage. Just the corn.
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b-b-b-based
 
Here's some EF1 and EF2 DIs in Grinnell that infuriate me, and the "reasoning" behind them:
Screenshot 2025-05-22 2.04.58 PM.pngScreenshot 2025-05-22 2.05.36 PM.png
EF2 - 116 miles-per-hour:
A more recent addition built onto the south side of the house was completely blown away along with the front (eastern) half of the original home. Trees were stripped and vehicles damaged. Images show surrounding properties that also sustained damage.
Screenshot 2025-05-22 2.07.40 PM.pngScreenshot 2025-05-22 2.08.29 PM.png
EF2 - 113 miles-per-hour:
40x60 morton buiIding blown away with damage to buildings. and 20x30 ft Quonset building collapsed. 2003 manufactured home had all walls collapse. Few anchor hooks on foundation. Concrete basement. Storm doors for basement on south side were pulled up. Damage scattered in various directions.
Screenshot 2025-05-22 2.09.44 PM.png
EF1 - 110 miles-per-hour:
Garage walls imploded outward with one bolt anchor visible near the garage door. Old vehicle was inside the garage and grey truck was just south of the building prior to the tornado.

This survey angers me. And there's more images I haven't posted, some of which are arguably even worse. And pay close attention to the reasoning - they avoid any mention of the more extreme tornadic damage.
 
OH-IOan said:
View attachment 43096
Ah... this is fine. (This is a real DI from the DAT, by the way, as much as it looks like vandalism!)
Click to expand...
Hahahha!!! THAT is low end EF2?!?

NWS offices (Some of them be like:)
Mma Reaction Pack GIF by UFC
 
US_Highway15 said:
Just thought I'd ask this, which I'm sure has been asked a lot, but do you guys think we will ever get another EF5? I used to believe that we would at some point, but I'm starting to believe, especially after the Plevna tornado and how strong it was, that there will never be another EF5 tornado again.
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i think we are not going to get a EF5 until the next EF scale update...
talking about that update its kind of starting to take a bit too long for this update.

there is one thing i am very worried about the next EF scale , that they did not specified about but its one of 2 things.
1:if a tornado hits a super strong home that isn't in a hurricane prone area , its going to not be rated the max wind speed (5 mph off from the max)
2:if a tornado hits a super strong home that isn't in a hurricane prone area , its going to not be rated as stronger then typical resistance, (meaning all homes will not be rated over 200 mph unless they are in a hurricane prone area)

i went to check the tornado archive and the hurricane prone map they showed , and out of all F5 , only one F5 ever hit the hurricane prone areas.


this is one of the 2 big flaws of the next EF scale.

as far as i can tell the next ef scale is 9 steps forwards , 2 steps back and 2 steps to the side (2 are somehow better and worse the same time depending on how you look at it).
 
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