List of F4, EF4, and IF4 tornadoes
This is a list of tornadoes which have been officially or unofficially labeled as F4, EF4, IF4, or an equivalent rating. These scales – the Fujita scale, the 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. In order 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 and.
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. With building design and structural integrity taken more into account, winds in an EF4 tornado were estimated to between and. The Enhanced Fujita scale is used predominantly in North America. Most of Europe, on the other hand, uses the TORRO tornado intensity 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.
List of F4/EF4 tornadoes
The most recent EF4 tornado occurred on May 16, 2025, which impacted Somerset and London, Kentucky.Pre-1950
The National Weather Service in the United States did not rate any tornadoes prior to 1950. Other organizations like the European Severe Storms Laboratory and Environment and Climate Change Canada on the other hand, did rate tornadoes prior to 1950. The only violent tornado that impacted the United States prior to 1950 and has an official rating is the 1946 Windsor–Tecumseh tornado, which received a rating from ECCC. However, the impact to the United States remains officially unrated.| Day | Year | Country | Subdivision | Location | Fatalities | Notes | Rated by |
| October 23 | 1091 | UK | Greater London | London | 2 | London tornado of 1091 — A violent tornado destroyed 600 houses, damaged the Church of St Mary-le-bow, and killed two people. While this tornado did not receive a rating on a tornado intensity scale, a publication in the Journal of Meteorology by M. W. Roe described the tornado as a “violent whirlwind”, so it is believed to have been equivalent to an F4 tornado. | M. W. Roe |
| 1535 | Poland | Lower Silesian | Oleśnica | 5 | An F4 tornado that destroyed part of the town. The written account of this tornado was done by Dr. Alfred Wegener, which is in the CLIMDAT archive located at Leipzig University. | ESSL | |
| 1582 | Germany | Thuringia | Rockhausen | 0 | This F4 tornado nearly destroyed a village, leaving only two houses that remained untouched. This may have been twin tornadoes instead of just one tornado. | ESSL | |
| 1625 | Russia | Tver Oblast | Toropets | 0 | This violent F4 tornado caused a path of destruction, reaching a maximum width of. Numerous houses and churches were obliterated and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. | ESSL | |
| 1666 | UK | Lincolnshire | 4 Villages in Lincolnshire | 3 Fatalities | A high end F4/low end F5 past through Welbourn, Wellingore, Navenby and Boothby Graffoe in Lincolnshire. Killing 3 people. Rated T8/9 by TORRO which is equivalent to F4 on the Fujita scale. Slight possibility of being an F5. | TORRO | |
| 1872 | Estonia | Historic country of Livonia | Unknown | 7 | 74 farms were damaged and a church was destroyed. | Heino Tooming, ESSL | |
| 1882 | Denmark | Silkeborg Municipality | Gødvad | 0 | The tornado destroyed an entire barn, "crushed" six strong oak half-timbered homes, destroyed turf homes, scoured an oat field, and picked up the water in a pond. "A stone house had all of its wooden roof tiles ripped off and the planks reportedly broken like glass". "Deep ground scouring" occurred in numerous places as well. | ESSL | |
| 1891 | Germany | North Rhineland | Lind, Süchteln, Anrath, Krefeld | 3 | This short-lived, extremely fast-moving F4/T9 tornado destroyed the towns of Lind, Süchteln, Anrath, and Krefeld. According to the European Severe Storms Laboratory, this tornado had a path of and only was on the ground for 4 minutes, meaning the forward moving speed of this tornado was about. Hail up to occurred with this tornado. | ESSL | |
| 1897 | Italy | Apulia | Oria | 55 | Houses and stone-walled buildings collapsed. The tornado's maximum width was and had a path length of. | ESSL | |
| 1902 | Canada | Ontario | Chesterville, Winchester | Several | The tornado was wide and tore dwellings and outbuildings into pieces. | ECCC | |
| 1904 | Russia | Moscow Oblast | Moscow | 9–200 | 1904 Moscow tornado — | ESSL | |
| 1912 | Canada | Saskatchewan | Regina | 28 | Regina Cyclone – An F4 tornado that completely leveled several structures and caused others to explode as the pressure inside the structures rose when the tornado passed overhead. The tornado caused a path of destruction and had an approximate width of. With 28 deaths, it remains Canada's deadliest tornado. | ECCC | |
| 1928 | Denmark | Southern Denmark | Hostrup, Esbjerg, Alslev | 0 | An F4 tornado that impacted Southern Denmark along a path of. Several barns were destroyed near Hostrup and gables on homes were destroyed. A home's walls were cracked in this area as well. A pump that was “deep into the ground” was ripped up and thrown. In the area of the pump, a “literal” two-story brick farmhouse was “erased to the ground”, which suggested F4 level intensity. | ESSL, DMI | |
| Poland | Lublin | Lublin | 6 | 1931 Lublin tornado — This tornado is officially rated F4; however, the Polish Weather Service estimated winds at, potentially ranking it as an F5. Numerous structures were "razed to the ground". | ESSL | ||
| Finland | Eastern Finland Province | Kiuruvesi | 0 | An F4 tornado was observed which crossed over land and water. | ESSL, FMI, NWS | ||
| Cuba | Mayabeque Province | Bejucal | 20 | The F4 tornado collapsed numerous houses and other structures. The tornado had an estimated width of and an estimated windspeed of. | INSMET | ||
| United States, Canada | Michigan, Ontario | River Rouge, Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh | 17 | 1946 Windsor–Tecumseh tornado – Officially rated F4; however, one home had a portion of its concrete block foundation swept away, indicating borderline F5 damage. The tornado knocked out power to most of Tecumseh as well. This tornado is not officially rated by the National Weather Service in the United States as NWS did not begin to rate tornadoes until 1950, so the damage done in the United States remains unrated. | ECCC |
1980s
June 3, 1980 – Vandergrift, Pennsylvania United States – One of the most violent tornadoes of the Grand Island, Nebraska tornado outbreak, occurring near Vandergrift. Caused $6,000,000 in damage and injured 140 people.April 2, 1982 – Paris, Texas, United States – F4 tornado in Paris, Texas, resulted in 10 fatalities and 170 injuries. Deadliest during the outbreak that also featured an F5 tornado over Oklahoma.
May 31, 1985 – Albion, Pennsylvania, United States – Many homes in town were completely leveled and 12 people were killed.
May 31, 1985 – Barrie, Ontario, Canada – A short-lived, but devastating and violent F4 tornado affected the City of Barrie, Ontario, Canada, causing 8 fatalities, 155 injuries, and $150 million CAD in damages.
May 31, 1985 – Atlantic, Pennsylvania, United States – One of the deadliest in the outbreak, killing 16. Atlantic was particularly hard hit from this tornado.
May 22, 1987 – Saragosa, Texas, United States – Mass casualties occurred in only a few structures. Homes and businesses were destroyed, and thirty were killed. The deadliest of the year.
July 31, 1987 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – also known as Black Friday. Hit the city of Edmonton at F4 strength before impacting the Evergreen Mobile Home Park where a dozen casualties were located. The second deadliest tornado of Canadian history with 27 deaths.
November 15, 1989 – Huntsville, Alabama, United States Also known as the Airport Road tornado, it took a total of 21 lives and 463 were injured. 12 of the deaths occurred in vehicles.
1990s
- May 31, 1985, Moshannon State Forest, Pennsylvania; It could have been a possible F5 tornado. It reportedly caused tremors that were measured as well, and the tornado was up to and just over 2 miles in width.
- June 1, 1990, Bakersfield Valley, Texas; It could’ve been a possible F5 based on the damage Ground scouring was seen, and oil tanks were ripped from their moorings, and rolled up a steep hill in an upwards direction. Homes were destroyed at peak intensity. The deaths from this tornado, a total of two, were in vehicles that failed to survive the winds.
- June 15, 1990, Stratton, Nebraska: A violent, wedge tornado, which at times was up to 1.5 miles in width, moved across rural areas, passing near Stratton and McCook. Extreme vehicle damage of a magnitude that beats the Loyal Valley event, was seen as the tornado ripped entire vehicles to small, unrecognizable pieces. Homes didn't live to tell the tale either, as they were destroyed. One farmhouse was left with nothing but a clean foundation and basement behind.
- November 29, 1991, Springfield, Missouri; 2 fatalities
- November 23, 1992, Channelview, Texas; one of only two recorded F4 tornadoes to hit Greater Houston
- May 29, 1995, Great Barrington, Massachusetts F4
- June 11, 1998, Cumberland/Greenfield, Indiana F4.
- November 9, 1998, "Southridge," Missouri F4.
- May 11, 1999, Loyal Valley, Texas; It was evident based on the damage it caused to a vehicle, that the tornado could have had been an F5.
Possible F4/EF4 tornadoes with no official rating or lower rating
Because the distinctions between tornadoes ratings are often ambiguous, the official ratings of numerous other tornadoes formally rated below F4/EF4/IF4 or equivalent have been disputed, with certain government sources or independent studies contradicting the official record. This list includes tornadoes rated F4/EF4/IF4 or equivalent by government meteorologists, non-government tornado experts or meteorological research institutions that rated a tornado differently than the official government organization in charge of the rating. Published academic papers or presentations at academically held meteorological conferences that rate tornadoes as F4/EF4/IF4 or present some evidence to support damage or winds in that category are also ways a tornado can be added to this list.1870s
Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis gave F4 ratings to 48 tornadoes that occurred in the United States in the 1870s.1880s
Grazulis gave F4 ratings to 70 tornadoes that occurred in the United States in the 1880s, and noted one other tornado that might have caused F4 damage.1950–present
| Day | Year | Country | Subdivision | Location | Fatalities | Notes | Rated by |
| 1950 | Germany | Rhineland-Palatinate | Andernach | 0 | Swirling utility poles marked the devastating path of the natural event. Heavy trunks had been swirled hundreds of meters away. Considerable damage occurred on a chicken farm and the beets were torn out of a field, meaning it was "probably F3 or F4 tornado?" | ESSL | |
| 1951 | United States | Oklahoma | Corn | 0 | This is event is officially documented as a single F3 tornado, but photographs showed that there were actually two slow-moving tornadoes from one storm. Grazulis rated the larger one that hit Corn F4. It destroyed 25 homes and 22 farm buildings, damaged 80 additional homes and buildings, and killed 26 heads of hogs and cattle and 1,650 chickens. Objects picked up by the tornado was carried as far as away. Ample warning prior to the storm striking the towns resulted in no casualties from this tornado. This tornado was the first in the United States to be caught on film and was also one of the most photographed tornadoes in Oklahoma at the time. Grazulis rated the second tornado, which destroyed several barns before dissipating west of Corn, F2 and noted that it may have been anticyclonic. | Grazulis | |
| 1951 | United States | Illinois | Heman | 0 | Tornado outbreak sequence of June 25–27, 1951 – The tornado is officially rated F3. Grazulis also rated the tornado F3, but noted that it caused "probable F4 damage." Two entire farms were "wiped out" near Heman. | Grazulis | |
| 1953 | United States | Indiana | Newtown | 3 | The tornado is officially listed as a long-tracked F3 tornado, but it is listed by Grazulis as family of four tornadoes, the second of which he rated F4 based on the damage done north of Newtown. | Grazulis | |
| 1953 | United States | Indiana | Fairview | 3 | The tornado is officially listed as a long-tracked F3 tornado, but it is listed by Grazulis as family of four tornadoes, the fourth of which he rated F4 based on the damage done near Fairview. Official records do not bring the tornado into Randolph County, where the damage reportedly took place. | Grazulis | |
| 1953 | United States | Nebraska | Hebron | 5 | 1953 Waco tornado outbreak – The tornado is officially listed as an F3 and Grazulis also rated it F3. However, he noted that F4 damage may have occurred outside of Hebron where two of 13 homes were described as "leveled." The top of Hebron High School was also torn off. | Grazulis | |
| 1953 | United States | Wisconsin | Amery | 4 | 1953 Waco tornado outbreak – This is officially listed as a long-tracked F2 tornado, but was more likely a family of tornadoes according to Grazulis, who rated the tornado F4 based on a swath of severe damage from east of New Richmond to near Amery. In all, 113 homes were damaged or destroyed and 215 other structures were affected by this tornado according to reports from local staff of the American Red Cross, although damage outside of the most severe damage in Amery was in sparsely populated areas and not well documented. | Grazulis | |
| 1954 | United States | Missouri, Iowa | Siam (IA) | 0 | Official records list the storm as an F2 tornado, but it was rated F4 by Grazulis. At least two farm homes were leveled and swept away. The track of the tornado is incorrectly listed in the NCEI as only being in Taylor County, Iowa. | Grazulis | |
| 1957 | United States | Minnesota | Glyndon, Riverton | 0 | Tornado outbreak sequence of June 20–23, 1957 – Three farms were destroyed with near-F5 damage to one home. Officially, this storm is listed as part of the track of the F5 tornado that hit Fargo, North Dakota, but a study by Fujita found the track to be a five-member tornado family, of which the Fargo tornado was the third and this one was the fourth. | Fujita, Grazulis | |
| United States | South Dakota | near Martin | 0 | Produced possible F5 damage over farmland north of Martin according to Grazulis, who rated the tornado as an F4. A church "disappeared" and one home "seemed to evaporate into the air." This tornado is listed as only F3 in the official database. | Grazulis | ||
| United States | Virginia | near South Boston | 1 | A six-room farmhouse was leveled, its debris strewn for acres. This tornado is listed as only F3 in the official database, but was rated F4 by Grazulis. | Grazulis | ||
| United States | Wyoming | Cheyenne | 1 | 1979 Cheyenne tornado – F4 damage occurred to the Buffalo Ridge subdivision and Shannon Heights Trailer Park of Cheyenne, with a wide swath of F4 damage being reported at the latter, as the tornado neared the end of its life. | Parker and Hickey of NWS Cheyenne | ||
| Japan | Chiba Prefecture | Mobara | 1 | A house was lifted off its foundation and disintegrated, and steel rods at a construction site were bent down to the ground. Video analysis indicated wind speeds of at above ground level. Fujita's analysis would make this the first record of an F4 tornado in Japan. | Fujita | ||
| Sep 30 | Brazil | São Paulo | Itu | 16 | Narrow tornado. Many well-built masonry cement/concrete homes were completely leveled. Cars were thrown long distances and mangled beyond recognition, and trees were intensely debarked and uprooted. A large bus was thrown several yards, killing several people. Officially rated F3, but new analysis suggests high-end F4 damage. | State University of Campinas | |
| Aug 29 | Brazil | Rio Grande do Sul | Muitos Capões | 0 | Officially rated F3 by MetSul Meteorologia, but it was noted that F4 damage may have occurred. A car was thrown hundred of yards and was completely mutilated, to almost being unrecognizable. Thick-walled masonry homes were completely destroyed, with many of them being completely leveled, and trees were severely debarked. Granulation of debris was also confirmed. | MetSul Meteorologia | |
| Jan 18 | 2007 | Germany | Brandenburg | Lauchhammer | 0 | A long-tracked tornado which was officially rated high-end F3/T7 hit multiple villages in eastern Germany. Four buildings were levelled completely in Kahla, and surveyors noted possible T8 damage in some locations, which equals F4 damage. | ESSL |
| United States | Kansas | near Bennington | 0 | Tornado outbreak of May 26–31, 2013 – A large, very slow-moving, and erratic wedge tornado remained over mostly farm lands. Numerous outbuildings were destroyed, farm equipment was damaged, and power poles and trees were downed. It was initially rated EF4 based on DOW wind measurements showing that tornado had winds in the EF4-EF5 range, but was downgraded since none of the damage indicators were over EF3. However, it was acknowledged that the tornado was likely at least EF4 intensity at some point in its life. | NCEI | ||
| United States | Texas, Oklahoma | Hardeman, Wilbarger, Jackson, Tillman, Kiowa | 0 | Multiple-vortex wedge tornado. Metal buildings, outbuildings, and trees sustained major damage or were destroyed. Power poles were broken and a few homes were damaged as well. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, video and radar evidence suggest that this was likely a violent tornado over a sparsely populated area. | NCEI | ||
| 2019 | United States | Mississippi | Greenwood Springs | 0 | Tornado outbreak of April 13–15, 2019 – This EF2 tornado tracked through wooded areas and downed numerous trees. A few homes sustained roof damage as well. In a later analysis published in the Monthly Weather Review, it was noted that, "this tornado produced forest devastation and electrical infrastructure damage up to at least EF4 intensity" with winds up to 182 mph. | Anthony W. Lyza, Barrett T. Goudeau, Kevin R. Knupp | |
| 2022 | United States | Louisiana | Gretna, Arabi, New Orleans | 2 | Tornado outbreak of March 21–23, 2022#Gretna–Arabi–New Orleans East, Louisiana – A study published in the Journal of Structural Engineering in 2024 about the performance of hurricane-resistant structures in this EF3 tornado discovered failure points of damaged structures suggesting high-end EF3 to EF4 peak intensity. | American Society of Civil Engineers |