A Closer Look at EF5 Tornadoes

In 2013, an EF5 tornado ravaged Oklahoma City. It was one of the strongest tornadoes we’d seen in decades; a similar tornado was recorded in the 1950s. An EF5 tornado is considered the worst type of tornado with wind speeds of over 200mph—even touching 250mph.

To give you an idea of what an EF5 tornado can do, Mayor Cornett stated that there were piles of debris that were 4 feet high around the city of Moore; cars were flipped upside-down and trees were torn out of the ground.

Most of us have only seen tornadoes strong enough to pull up cars on a TV screen, but these tornadoes are a harsh reality in Oklahoma. Although EF5 tornadoes come every few years, residents living on or near Tornado Alley and other tornado-prone parts of the city should take safety precautions.

Let’s take a closer look at EF5 tornadoes:

What are EF5 Tornadoes and How Common are They?

The “EF5” portion of the EF5 tornadoes refers to the Enhanced Fujita scale. This scale rates a tornado based on the damage caused by a tornado (or any other storm). The damage is used to determine the speed of the wind.

EF5 storms are the worst kinds of windstorms on Earth with speeds of 200 mph or above. Luckily, such strong tornadoes are still fairly uncommon and are expected once in many years.

What Causes Storms of this Strength?

The strength of a tornado is determined by various environmental factors. The cold and warm air on the atmosphere and begin gaining height. The winds of an EF5 tornado is what makes it so dangerous—shockingly, most of the destruction is done by the weaker winds rather than the strong ones. The more difference there is between the cold and warm winds, the more chance there is of an EF5 tornado being formed.

What Can Be Done to Stop an EF5 Tornado?

There’s no way to stop an EF5 tornado; all people can do is wait it out. Contrary to what many believed in the past, residents can survive an EF5 tornado provided that they take precautionary measures.

Installing a storm shelter on your property can protect you from EF5 tornadoes so you can wait out the storm knowing that you’re safe.

Oklahoma Shelters has more than 7 years of experience in building and installing high-quality safe rooms and shelters for both commercial and residential buildings. We install concrete shelters, underground garage shelters, underground bunkers as well as safe rooms. All our structures meet FEMA’s standards and protect from strong tornadoes, including EF5 tornadoes.

We’ve built safe rooms Oklahoma and tornado shelters for esteemed organizations like FEMA, Salvation Army, Red Cross, The Indian Nations, Apartment Complexes, Churches, Oil and Gas Company, Housing Authorities, etc. Our team builds and installs the shelters, and we don’t hire any subcontractors for the job.

Call us at 405-367-7901 for a free consultation.