We’ve all heard the expression “F5 Tornado.” We all know that it isn’t something you’d ever want to stand in front of. How many of us actually know what an F5 tornado really is, though? If we saw a tornado heading our way across the horizon, what would be the telltale signs that allow us to work out whether it’s a relatively harmless F1 or a fearsome, destructive F5? Knowing the difference could save your life - which is precisely why we’ve written this article!
Given the massively destructive power of tornadoes, it’s astonishing that we sometimes look upon them as a form of entertainment. They took centre stage in the 1990s movie “Twister” which, by the way, is one of the best disaster movies of all time. The film wasn’t even all that far fetched - there are people out there who chase storms for fun and recreation! In the cartoonish world of professional wrestling, Brock Lesnar uses a move called the F5 as a finisher - and people chant and cheer for it. We’re not saying that people might have come a little too complacent about the damage these freakish weather events can do, but it wouldn’t do anyone any harm to read this and remind themselves how devastating they can be.
The entertainment factor of tornadoes and storms isn’t even reserved to the worlds of movies or professional wrestling. It’s also spread to online slots websites. Have a browse through the extensive catalogue of online slots at Rose Slots Canada, and you might come across slots with names like "Tornado: Farm Escape" and "Hurricane Speed". People gladly part with their money to play these slots and think nothing of the unusual choice of inspiration. Maybe they make for the best metaphor of all. If you stand in the bath of an F5 tornado, you're taking a bigger gamble than anything an online slots website could ever offer you. Allow us to explain why!
As a side note, the tornado scale was updated in 2007. “Twister” was made in 1996. That means the F5 tornadoes of today are even more violent than the F5 tornado that appeared at the climax of that film! Contrary to what might seem logical, the “F scale” for tornadoes has six levels, starting at zero. Here’s how they work.
F0 Tornadoes
Aside from the fact that you can usually see a small pillar of rotating wind and debris, you might not notice an F0 tornado at all. If you were safely inside your home and had music on or the television turned up loud, there's every chance it would breeze right past you, and you wouldn't notice. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances, an F0 tornado poses no threat to life. If you find yourself in danger because of one, you've been incredibly unlucky. The most likely way for this to happen would be for an old, already-unsteady chimney to collapse in on itself or a weak tree to fall into your path.
F1 Tornadoes
Having established that F1 tornadoes are not, in fact, the weakest of all the tornadoes, we should also express that they’re dangerous and should be treated with respect. To qualify as an F1 event, a tornado must have a wind speed of 73 miles per hour or above. A well-built home shouldn’t be at risk, but a tornado of this intensity might be capable of moving a mobile home or caravan. If the mobile home or caravan isn’t well-secured, it might not even turn it over. The majority of cars should be safe if they’re parked, but a car that’s already in motion might find itself pushed off the road. That’s why staying put is usually a better option than trying to drive away if a tornado is right on top of you.
F2 Tornadoes
We’re picking up speed rapidly now. An F2 tornado has a wind speed of more than 113 miles per hour. That’s enough to uproot even a healthy tree - potentially even breaking it into pieces in the process. A mobile home in the path of an F2 tornado is liable to be ripped into pieces. The roof of your property probably isn’t safe either. A standard-sized family car might not be lifted into the air, but it could be flipped over. When there’s an F2 tornado headed your way, it’s time to seek shelter and stay there until the storm has passed.
F3 Tornadoes
When a tornado develops a wind speed in excess of 158 miles per hour, it becomes F3 class - and nothing is safe. Your car might be picked up and put down further along the road. Trees are likely to be uprooted and implant themselves through your windows. You might even lose the entire top floor of your home - or more if you're unlucky. There have been recorded instances of F3 tornadoes overturning trains standing in open spaces. An F3 tornado is no longer a weather event - it's a natural disaster.
F4 Tornadoes
Thankfully, F4 tornadoes are very rare. We say "thankfully" because they destroy almost everything they touch. When an F4 tornado arrives, it comes with a wind speed in excess of 206 miles per hour. Any normal family home will be ripped to shreds. Solidly-built brick houses can be torn clean away from their foundations. Unless you can find shelter, your life is in extreme danger. Standard practice ahead of the expected arrival of an F4 tornado is to evacuate any town or settlement that stands in its path. There may not be much of that town or settlement left when residents return to it.
F5 Tornadoes
There hasn’t been an F5 tornado in the United States of America since the 2013 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma. When it struck, it caused so much damage that nothing was left but bare soil in the worst affected areas. Everything else was sucked up by the vortex and destroyed. In the most shocking recorded incident, a propane tank weighing in excess of ten tons was picked up and thrown more than half a mile away from its place of origin. Two oil tanks were picked up from a production plant. One turned up a mile away. The other was never found. Cars were flung through the air and exploded. Moore turned into Hell. Spinning at up to 318 miles per hour, F5 tornadoes are nicknamed “the finger of God.” Pray that it never points at you.
Very few people have ever seen an F5. Very few people ever will - and that’s a good thing! In almost all cases, the best thing to do when you know there’s a tornado coming is get to low, sheltered ground and hide there until it passes. Nature takes no prisoners!
