Damage to the Kessler Theater resulting from the 1957 Dallas tornado.

(Based on a subjective, but expert and careful, assessment of damage -- useful only when a tornado
strikes where property damage can occur. Wind speeds are fastest quarter mile estimates.)

F0:    Gale                         40-72 mph        Chimney damage, tree branches broken.
F1:    Moderate                 73-112 mph      The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed. Mobile homes pushed off
                                                                     foundations or overturned.
F2:    Significant                113-157 mph    Considerable damage. Mobile homes demolished. Trees uprooted. Light object missiles
                                                                     generated.
F3:    Severe                     158-205 mph     Roofs and walls torn down. Trains overturned. Cars thrown.
F4:    Devastating             207-260 mph     Well-constructed walls leveled.
F5:    (speaks for itself)    261-318 mph     Homes lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances. Autos thrown as far as
                                                                     100 meters. Trees debarked.
                                                                     Steel reinforced concrete structures badly damaged.
F-6    (reserved in case something worse than an F5 turns up some day)

NOTE: THE FUJITA-PEARSON SCALE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REVISED. The main effect has been to raise the wind speeds for categories 0 and 1, and lower the wind speeds for categories 2 - 5. The new system now is referred to as the Enhanced Fujita, or EF, Scale. See the Links page for more information. The 1957 Dallas Tornado remains a category 3 (EF3).

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Last updated 30 April, 2008