Dan Ross
EF0
First off, this thread isn't about debating the NWS's EF rating for any particular tornado event, but rather to speculate on the actual frequency of tornadoes with EF4+ wind speeds. Most chasers/enthusiasts are probably familiar with the statistic that only 1-2% of tornadoes are EF4 or greater in strength. I often wonder if a larger percentage of tornadoes actually reach that strength. A tornado's intensity can fluctuate throughout its life span. So hypothetically, a tornado that only hits one structure and gets rated EF2 based on that damage alone, might have actually had EF4+ winds at some other point along its path, but we'll never know because it didn't do any surveyable damage. I wonder, if we could somehow accurately (magically) measure the near-surface winds of every tornado, just how many would produce EF4+ wind speeds at some point throughout their life cycle? Might it be 3 - 4%? Maybe more?