The Strongest Tornadoes in History
The National Weather Service (NWS) utilizes the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale to categorize tornadoes based on estimated 3-second wind gusts. Because direct measurements are extremely rare, officials assign an EF rating based on the worst damage found along the path, with EF5 indicating winds over 200 mph.
However, actual ground-level wind speeds can sometimes be captured by mobile radar units. For example, during the 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado, the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) measured an astonishing wind speed of 318 mph, marking the highest wind speed ever reliably recorded on Earth. Below are the strongest tornadoes in our archive ranked by peak wind speed.
| Rank | Storm Event | Rating | Peak Winds |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bridge Creek-Moore1999 | F5 | 318 mph |
| #2 | Niles-Wheatland1985 | F5 | 261 to 318 mph |
| #3 | El Reno2013 | EF3 | 302 mph |
| #4 | Tri-State1925 | F5 | 300 mph |
| #5 | El Reno-Piedmont2011 | EF5 | 295 mph |
| #6 | Spencer1998 | F4 | 264 mph |
| #7 | Plainfield1990 | F5 | >261 mph |
| #8 | Jarrell1997 | F5 | 261 mph |
| #9 | Elie2007 | F5 | >261 mph |
| #10 | Andover1991 | F5 | greater than 260 mph |
How These Are Ranked
Entries shown as a range are damage estimates rather than measurements. The Fujita scale, used until the Enhanced Fujita scale replaced it in 2007, placed a tornado inside a wind band instead of assigning it a single figure, which is why an F5 appears as 261–318 mph and an F4 as 207–260 mph. Those are ranked on the top of their band. A single figure means the speed was measured directly, usually by mobile radar, and a measurement is ranked ahead of a band that reaches the same number.
Sources & Citations
- National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL). "Severe Weather 101: Tornado FAQ." NOAA.gov
- National Weather Service Norman, OK. "The Great Plains Tornado Outbreak of May 3-4, 1999." Weather.gov
- Data compiled from the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).