Tornado Intensity Estimation: Past, Present and Future

Abstract

The enhanced Fujita scale, devised to rate wind damage more precisely, will need accountability and flexibility to keep pace with advances in mapping, documentation, and the growing understanding of structural responses to airflow.

Finescale Radar Observations of Tornado and Mesocyclone Structures

“…For a weak tornado, just meeting the DV $ 40 m s 21 criterion, moving at a typical speed 6 V p of 13.5 m s 21 , peak winds on the right side of the vortex (relative to the direction of motion) would be DV/2 1 V p or 33.5 m s 21 . This is close to the ''severe'' thunderstorm wind speed criterion, 26 m s 21 , of the National Weather Service (http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/ awebphp/svrguide.php), the lower wind speed bound for category 0 on the enhanced Fujita scale (EF0), 29 m s 21 (Edwards et al 2013), and the threshold for hurricane force wind speeds, 33 m s 21 (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/ sshws_2012rev.pdf). AW found that there was a paucity 4 The definition of tornado from the online and evolving version of the Glossary of Meteorology has the additional phrase ''in contact with the surface.''…”

Current Efforts for Prediction and Assessment of Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanic eruptions, Hurricanes, Tornados, and Floods

“…A review of forecast, warning, and response to the tornado problem up to 2000 was presented by Golden and Adams [160]. More recently, a review of research and prediction of tropical cyclone tornadoes was presented by Edwards [161] and tornado intensity estimation was presented by Edwards et al [162]. Brotzge and Donner [163] also presented a review of current e orts, challenges, and opportunities in the context of tornado forecasting, detection, warning decision, dissemination, and public response.…”

Comparison of two methods of near-surface wind speed estimation in the 22 May, 2011 Joplin, Missouri Tornado

“…These limitations can allow for the ratings to be highly subjective. As a result, there is considerable interest among both wind engineers and meteorologists to improve the EF scale (Edwards et al, 2013;Lombardo et al, 2010).…”

“…In addition, although high-resolution portable radar measurements provide great insight (Burgess et al, 2002;Dowell et al, 2005;Wurman et al, 2013), they typically cannot sample in the near-surface (o10 m above ground). As a result, the wind speed/ damage relationship is poorly understood (Edwards et al, 2013). Therefore, meteorologists and engineers have replied upon damagebased methods to estimate near-surface wind speeds in tornadoes such as the Fujita (F) scale (Fujita, 1971) and the subsequent EF scale (McDonald et al, 2006).…”