Last Tuesday's episode of "Jeopardy!" gave meteorologists and weather enthusiasts across America the perfect opportunity to put their knowledge to the test. Make a wager if you'd like and here's the clue...
Video Credit: Jeopardy!
If you answered, "What is a tornado?", then you are correct.
Image Credit: NOAA
How is tornado strength rated?
To determine the strength of a tornado, experts examine the damage it caused. From this information, we can estimate the wind speeds. An “Enhanced Fujita Scale” was implemented by the National Weather Service in 2007 to rate tornadoes in a more consistent and accurate manner. The EF-Scale takes into account more variables than the original Fujita Scale (F-Scale) when assigning a wind speed rating to a tornado, incorporating 28 damage indicators such as building type, structures and trees. For each damage indicator, there are 8 degrees of damage ranging from the beginning of visible damage to complete destruction of the damage indicator.
Image Credit: NOAA
The original F-scale did not take these details into account. The original F-Scale historical data base will not change. An F5 tornado rated years ago is still an F5, but the wind speed associated with the tornado may have been somewhat less than previously estimated. A correlation between the original F-Scale and the EF-Scale has been developed. This makes it possible to express ratings in terms of one scale to the other, preserving the historical database.
