Columbia County Emergency Management

Hurricanes are classified by categories, are tornadoes?

FO: Light damage, winds less than 72 mph. Some damage to chimneys, branches broken off trees, shallow-rooted trees pushed over, signboards damaged.
F1: Moderate damage, winds 73 - 112 mph. Surface peeled off roofs, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, moving autos blown off road.
F2: Considerable damage, winds 113 - 157 mph. Roofs torn off frame houses, mobile homes demolished, boxcars overturned, large trees snapped or uprooted, light objects become missles.
F3: Severe damage, winds 158 - 206 mph. Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses, trains overturned, most trees in forest uprooted, heavy cars lifted off ground and thrown.
F4: Devastating damage, winds 207 - 260 mph. Well-constructed houses leveled, structures with weak foundations blown-off some distance, cars thrown, large missiles generated.
F5: Incredible damage, wind 261 - 318 mph. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and swept away, automobile-sized missiles fly through the air more than 100 yards, trees debarked.