List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes (2020–present)

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Large wedge tornado near Winterset, Iowa, in March 2022.
Aerial view of EF4 damage in Mayfield, Kentucky, on December 12, 2021, one of several towns impacted by the 2021 Western Kentucky tornado.

This is a list of tornadoes which have been officially or unofficially labeled as F4, EF4, IF4, or an equivalent rating during the 2020s decade. These scales – the Fujita scale, the Enhanced Fujita scale, the International Fujita scale, and the TORRO tornado intensity scale – attempt to estimate the intensity of a tornado by classifying the damage caused to natural features and man-made structures in the tornado's path.

Tornadoes are among the most violent known meteorological phenomena. Each year, more than 2,000 tornadoes are recorded worldwide, with the vast majority occurring in North America and Europe.[1][2] To assess the intensity of these events, meteorologist Ted Fujita devised a method to estimate maximum wind speeds within tornadic storms based on the damage caused; this became known as the Fujita scale. The scale ranks tornadoes from F0 to F5, with F0 being the least intense and F5 being the most intense. F4 tornadoes were estimated to have had maximum winds between 207 mph (333 km/h) and 260 mph (420 km/h) and are considered violent tornadoes, along with F5 tornadoes.[3][nb 1]

Following two particularly devastating tornadoes in 1997 and 1999, engineers questioned the reliability of the Fujita scale. Ultimately, a new scale was devised that took into account 28 different damage indicators; this became known as the Enhanced Fujita scale.[4] With building design and structural integrity taken more into account, winds in an EF4 tornado were estimated to between 166 mph (267 km/h) and 200 mph (320 km/h).[5] The Enhanced Fujita scale is used predominantly in North America. Most of Europe, on the other hand, uses the TORRO tornado intensity scale (or T-Scale), which ranks tornado intensity between T0 and T11; F4/EF4 tornadoes are approximately equivalent to T8 to T9 on the T-Scale. Tornadoes rated IF4 on the International Fujita scale are also included on this list. Violent tornadoes, those rated F4/EF4 and F5/EF5 are rare and only make up 2% of all recorded tornadoes.[6]

List[edit]

Worldwide during the 2020s, seventeen tornadoes have been rated F4/EF4/IF4. Fifteen of these tornadoes occurred in the United States, receiving EF4 ratings, one occurred in Canada, and one F4/IF4 occurred in the Czech Republic.[note 1] These tornadoes have caused 132 fatalities and over 1,031 injuries. The most recent EF4 tornado occurred on July 1, 2023, impacting areas south of Didsbury, Alberta, Canada.

Tornadoes officially rated F4/EF4/IF4 or equivalent (2020–Present)[note 2]
Day Year Country Sub­division Location Fata­lities Rated by
March 3 2020 United States Tennessee Baxter, Cookeville 19 (87 injuries) NWS
2020 Nashville tornado outbreak — The tornado produced catastrophic damage resulting in entire portions of neighborhoods becoming flattened. Numerous fatalities occurred with at least 17 well-anchored block-foundation homes being leveled or swept away. In addition to vehicles being thrown and destroyed, many trees were denuded and partially debarked in this area, indicating EF4 damage with wind speeds rated at 175 miles per hour (282 km/h). Homes farther away from the center of the damage path lost their roofs and exterior walls.[7][8]
April 12 2020 United States Mississippi Hope, Sartinville, Bassfield 4 (3+ injuries) NWS
2020 Easter tornado outbreak — A house was completely swept away, leaving a bare foundation slab. This house was secured to its foundation with anchor bolts, which were found bent, though nearby trees did not sustain damage consistent with a tornado stronger than low-end EF4 strength. Trees were ripped out of the ground with numerous other structures damaged or destroyed. The tornado caused $2.75 million (2020 USD) in damage.[9][10][8]
April 12 2020 United States Mississippi Bassfield, Cantwell Mill, Seminary, Collins, Soso, Moss, Pachuta 8 (95+ injuries) NWS
2020 Easter tornado outbreak — In Cantwell Mill, a large, anchor-bolted cabin was completely swept away and reduced to a bare slab, with little debris recovered. While this structure was well-anchored, surveyors noted some minor structural defects including a lack of external sheathing and flawed stud-to-sill plate nailing, while trees in the immediate vicinity sustained only partial debarking. Due to these limiting factors, a high-end EF4 rating was applied. Many other structures were destroyed at EF4 intensity as well and entire groves of large trees were mowed down and completely stripped of their bark. The tornado reached a width of 2.25 miles (3.62 km), making it the widest tornado in Mississippi history and the third-widest on record in the United States.[11][12][10][8]
April 13 2020 United States South Carolina Scotia, Estill, Nixville, Fechtig 5 (65 injuries) NWS
2020 Easter tornado outbreak — This large, multiple-vortex tornado damaged or destroyed numerous structures. EF4 damage was inflicted to a well-built two-story home that was leveled with only a pile of debris remaining, with some of the debris scattered into the yard. The wind speed estimate in this area was 172 mph (277 km/h). EF2-EF3 damage occurred in many other areas along the path as well.[13][14][8]
April 19 2020 United States Mississippi Hurricane Creek, Sandy Hook, Pine Burr, Purvis 1 (1 injury) NWS
List of United States tornadoes in April 2020#April 19 event – A well-built house in southwestern Marion County was leveled and partially swept away at low-end EF4 intensity by this tornado, and numerous other homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed as well. Numerous trees were also snapped and partially debarked along the path. The tornado resulted in $700,000 in damage.[15][16][17][18][19][8]
July 8 2020 United States Minnesota Dalton 1 (3 injuries) NWS
2020 Ashby–Dalton tornado — One farmhouse and machine shop were swept away, leaving behind mangled vehicles and machinery, snapped and debarked trees, and visible ground scouring. The tornado, described by storm chasers as resembling a "drill bit" at times, killed one person.[20][8]
March 25[note 3] 2021 United States Georgia Franklin, Newnan, Peachtree City 0 (1 indirect fatality) NWS
Tornado outbreak sequence of March 24–28, 2021 — The peak damage from the tornado came in Newnan, where multiple large and newly built homes were leveled at low-end EF4 intensity, including some that were partially swept away. The tornado prompted the issuance of three tornado emergencies and caused $20 million (2021 USD) in damage.[21][22][23][24][25][8]
June 24 2021 Czech Republic South Moravian Region Hrušky, Moravská Nová Ves, Mikulčice, Lužice, Hodonín 6 (200+ injuries) ESSL, CHMI, SHMÚ, Charles University, Tomáš Prouza
2021 South Moravia tornado – One third of the buildings in Hrušky were destroyed and 85% were damaged, with the most severe damage occurring in the southern half of town. In Moravská Nová Ves and Mikulčice, hundreds of buildings were severely damaged or destroyed, including a few well-built brick and masonry homes that were completely leveled. The concrete exterior walls of structures that remained standing were scarred and impaled by flying projectiles. A few trees were completely stripped clean of all bark. In the town, three locations sustained IF4 damage. The first location was a row of newly built homes. "Here, an IF4 rating was assigned to the damage of three well-built brick structures. One of the brick structures was completely destroyed, which would warrant an IF5 rating. However, a rather weak connection between the roof and the walls was found, which prevented the damage to be assigned an IF5 rating. Another structure that was completely destroyed was still under construction. Debris from the houses were carried over the following field along considerable distances."[26] In Lužice, multiple homes and apartment buildings were damaged or destroyed in the town, and metal-framed industrial buildings and factories were destroyed. In Hodonín, the tornado impacted a densely populated area in the northern part of town. Numerous buildings sustained major structural damage or were destroyed. In all, a total of 1,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the F4/IF4[note 1] tornado, which had an estimated peak windspeed of 380 km/h (236.1 mph) and 14 different locations sustained IF4 level damage.[27][28][29]
December 10 2021 United States Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee Monette, Leachville (Arkansas), Braggadocio (Missouri), Samburg (Tennessee) 8 (14 injuries) NWS
2021 Tri-State tornado — A long-tracked wedge and the fifth tornado spawned by the Quad-State supercell damaged or destroyed numerous structures. Multiple structures were swept from their foundation, with only the concrete slab remaining, with two homes and a bait and tackle shop sustaining low-end EF4 damage. Metal high-tension power poles were bent to the ground. The tornado had a path 81.17 miles (130.63 km) long. EF4 damage occurred in Missouri and Tennessee; the maximum damage in Arkansas was rated EF3.[30][31][8]
December 10 2021 United States Tennessee, Kentucky Woodland Mills (Tennessee), Cayce (Kentucky), Mayfield, Benton, Princeton, Dawson Springs, Bremen 57 (515 injuries) NWS
2021 Western Kentucky tornado — A long-tracked wedge and the ninth spawned by the Quad-State supercell, this tornado damaged, destroyed, or obliterated numerous structures along a path of 165.6 miles (266.5 km). Eight of the tornado warnings issued during the event by the NWS offices in Memphis, Tennessee, and Paducah, Kentucky were tornado emergency declarations, the most issued during the month of December. The communities of Cayce, Mayfield, Princeton, Dawson Springs and Bremen took the majority of the EF4 damage. Dual polarization radar imagery showed that the tornado lofted debris up to 30,000 feet (9,100 m) into the air as it impacted Mayfield. The tornado caused extreme ground scouring in Hickman County with grass and several inches of topsoil removed in multiple locations. In Bremen, a row of four homes was obliterated, with debris scattered and wind-rowed long distances through fields across the street. Concrete floor slabs were torn from the foundation of one home and shattered, while the paved driveway of another residence was cracked and scoured. Peak damage along the path was rated high-end EF4 with winds of 190 mph (310 km/h). In 2022, meteorologist and structural and forensic engineer Timothy Marshall noted that "the tornado damage rating might have been higher had more wind resistant structures been encountered" and "the damage likely would have been more severe if the tornado were slower.”[32] EF4 damage occurred in Kentucky; the maximum damage in Tennessee was rated EF0.[33][34][35][36][30][8]
March 5 2022 United States Iowa Macksburg, Winterset, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Newton 6 (5 injuries) NWS
Tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2022 — A multiple-vortex wedge tornado produced major damage along its path of 70.92 miles (114.13 km). Southwest of Winterset, several homes were severely damaged or destroyed, a few of which were leveled or swept away. Cars were flipped and thrown, outbuildings were obliterated, debris was strewn long distances, and many large trees were snapped and debarked in this area as well. Winds from the tornado in this area were estimated at 170 mph (270 km/h), which officially classifies the tornado as a low-end EF4.[37][8]
April 5 2022 United States Georgia Pembroke, Black Creek 1 (12+ injuries) NWS
2022 Pembroke–Black Creek tornado — A 3⁄4-mile (1.2 km) wide wedge tornado caused damage to or destroyed numerous structures. Four well-built homes anchor-bolted to their foundations were leveled, including two that were completely swept away with only their bare concrete slab foundations remaining and one with anchor bolts that were bent, indicating EF4 intensity with winds estimated at 185 mph (298 km/h).[30][38][39][8]
November 4 2022 United States Texas, Oklahoma Brookston, Caviness, Midcity, Powderly, Arthur City (Texas), Sawyer (Oklahoma) 0 (1 injury) NWS
Tornado outbreak of November 4–5, 2022 — A large, nearly mile-wide wedge tornado produced significant damage along a path of 44.69 miles (71.92 km). Southwest of Powderly, Texas, the tornado caused major damage to multiple homes in the community of Caviness. One home was completely destroyed with all of its walls collapsed, indicating low-end EF4 intensity with winds estimated at 170 mph (270 km/h). EF4 damage occurred in Texas; the maximum damage in Oklahoma was rated low-end EF2.[30][8]
November 4 2022 United States Texas, Oklahoma Clarksville (Texas), Idabel (Oklahoma), Broken Bow, Eagletown 0 (13 injuries) NWS
Tornado outbreak of November 4–5, 2022 — A large, violent wedge tornado touched down southwest of Clarksville, Texas, severely damaging numerous homes and producing intense tree damage. North of Clarksville, a well-constructed residence was completely swept away with only a bare concrete slab remaining. The home's walls had large heavy-duty nails attaching them to the frame of the house which was removed from the foundation along with some of the nails. Debris from the home was broken into small pieces and strewn northeast into a field 50–200 yards away. Winds here were estimated to be 170 mph (270 km/h). Ten people living in the residence sheltered in an in-ground oil pit inside a small outbuilding, which was also swept away, but all escaped uninjured. EF4 damage occurred in Texas; the maximum damage in Oklahoma was rated EF3.[30][8]
March 24 2023 United States Mississippi Rolling Fork, Midnight, Silver City 17 (165 injuries) NWS, NSSL, CIWRO, NIST, Haag Engineering
2023 Rolling Fork–Silver City tornado — A long-tracked, violent tornado directly impacted Rolling Fork and Silver City, as well as many surrounding areas. including Midnight, resulting in catastrophic damage. The tornado was at its peak intensity of high-end EF4 in Rolling Fork, destroying many homes, mobile homes, businesses, and other structures, shredding many trees and power lines, scouring the ground northeast of town. A floral shop was completely obliterated, which received the highest EF4 rating, with winds estimated at 195 miles per hour (314 km/h). Low-end EF4 tree damage and ground scouring also occurred east of Anguilla as well.[40]
March 31 2023 United States Iowa Keota, Wellman 0 (3 injuries) NWS
Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 — One house was completely swept off its foundation at low-end EF4 intensity. A car at a different destroyed house was tossed about 1,000 feet (300 m) into a field and trees were completely debarked with only stubs remaining.[41]
July 1 2023 Canada Alberta Didsbury 0 (1 injury) ECCC, PASPC, NTP
Twelve houses were damaged or destroyed, including one well-built house that was collapsed at low-end EF4 intensity, with debris scattered downwind. Trees were debarked, the ground was scoured, and a combine weighing nearly 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) was thrown and rolled.[42]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b This tornado was rated F4 by CHMI in 2021, but a later joint ESSL/CHMI/SHMU report released in 2022 rating it an IF4
  2. ^ This section is not a full summary of the tornado, but rather a “Why was this rated F4/EF4/IF4" section.
  3. ^ This tornado started on the day listed, but continued into the next day.
  1. ^ The winds estimated by the Fujita Scale are estimated values and have not been verified scientifically.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "U.S. Tornado Climatology". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. May 20, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  2. ^ Paul Rincon (July 11, 2003). "UK, Holland top twister league". British Broadcasting Company. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Fujita Tornado Damage Scale". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2006. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale)". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. August 4, 2011. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  5. ^ "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  6. ^ "Violent Tornadoes". National Weather Service. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. ^ March 2–3, 2020 Tornadoes and Severe Weather (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 5, 2020. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Grazulis, Thomas P. (2023). Significant Tornadoes 1974–2022. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project. pp. 589–633. ISBN 978-1-879362-01-7.
  9. ^ Storm Events Database, NOAA
  10. ^ a b "NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  11. ^ "More Than Two-Mile-Wide Mississippi Easter Tornado, One of Largest Ever Documented in U.S., Was State's Widest on Record". The Weather Channel. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  12. ^ Michaels, Chris (April 17, 2020). "Mississippi tornado becomes third-widest on record, according to the National Weather Service". WSLS. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  13. ^ South Carolina Event Report: EF4 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit". apps.dat.noaa.gov. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Storm Events Database, NOAA
  16. ^ Storm Events Database, NOAA
  17. ^ Storm Events Database, NOAA
  18. ^ NWS New Orleans Tornado Report (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  19. ^ Jackson MS, NWS (April 20, 2020). "The Hurricane Creek/Pine Burr/Purvis/Camp Shelby tornado has been rated an EF-4 with estimated maximum wind of 170 MPH, path length of 54.2 miles, and maximum path width of 1.25 miles. Additional details will follow later this evening". @NWSJacksonMS. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  20. ^ Cappucci, Matthew. "Destructive 'drill bit' tornado carves deadly path in Minnesota". Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  21. ^ NWS Damage Survey for March 25–26, 2021 Tornado and Severe Weather Event Update #5 (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  22. ^ Herzmann, Daryl. "IEM :: Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) App". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  23. ^ Herzmann, Daryl. "IEM :: Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) App". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  24. ^ Herzmann, Daryl. "IEM :: Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) App". mesonet.agron.iastate.edu. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  25. ^ Storm Events Database March 24, 2021 (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved June 23, 2021. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  26. ^ ESSL https://www.essl.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/24-June-2021-violent-tornado-damage-assessment-.pdf. Retrieved October 4, 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  27. ^ "Czech Republic: Deadly tornado sweeps through villages". BBC News. June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  28. ^ "Tornádo zpustošilo jih Moravy, zanechalo za sebou oběti a mnoho zraněných". CT. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  29. ^ "SOUHRNNÁ ZPRÁVA k vyhodnocení tornáda na jihu Moravy 24. 6. 2021" (PDF). chmi.cz. CHMI. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  30. ^ a b c d e "ArcGIS Web Application". apps.dat.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  31. ^ Olivo, Antonio (December 17, 2020). "Recovering Together". Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  32. ^ Marshall, Timothy (January 2022). "Damage Survey of the Mayfield, KY Tornado: 10 December 2021". 30th Conference of Severe Local Storms. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  33. ^ Emfinger, Brian (December 20, 2021). "Some ground scouring along Hwy 51 between Clinton and Fulton, KY". twitter.com. Twitter. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022. Some ground scouring along Hwy 51 between Clinton and Fulton, KY
  34. ^ Nathan Santo Domingo. "Usually, we can call these "hail spikes." It's a radar artifact that is usually caused by very large hail. In this instance, however, this is a "debris spike" due to a massive tornado lofting large objects high into the air. Unreal... #kywx". Twitter. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  35. ^ "Many trapped, two dead as tornado hits nursing home in Arkansas -media". reuters.com. December 11, 2021. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  36. ^ Kathryn Prociv; Nicole Acevedo (December 11, 2021). "'Quad-State Tornado' crossed four states in four hours, a rare December tornado". NBC News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  37. ^ "Winterset tornado upgraded to EF-4 with 170 mph winds". who13.com. March 7, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  38. ^ "2 dead as tornadoes touch down in South". ABC News. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  39. ^ NWS Damage Survey for the April 5, 2022 Tornado Event in Bryan County GA – Update #2 (Report). Iowa Environmental Mesonet. April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  40. ^ National Weather Service in Jackson, Mississippi (June 6, 2023). "Rolling Fork-Silver City Tornado". Iowa Environmental Mesonet. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  41. ^ National Centers for Environmental Information. "Iowa Event Report: EF4 Tornado". Storm Event Database. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  42. ^ "Didsbury AB Tornado an EF4". Northern Tornadoes Project. Western University. July 4, 2023. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
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