Elie Tornado Rated F4

[John Hudson]

Environment Canada personnel have inspected the damages in Elie, Manitoba after Friday night's tornado, and have rated the storm F4. I don't know why they didn't categorize as EF4; perhaps Canada never adopted the enhanced Fujita scale.

You can read the story online at: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070622/tornado_070623/20070623/


John
VE4 JTH

 

[Tony Lyza]

Environment Canada personnel have inspected the damages in Elie, Manitoba after Friday night's tornado, and have rated the storm F4. I don't know why they didn't categorize as EF4; perhaps Canada never adopted the enhanced Fujita scale.

You can read the story online at: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070622/tornado_070623/20070623/


John
VE4 JTH

I was wondering, when was the last F4 tornado in Canada? I know of the Pine Lake tornado in 2000 which was an F3 and the Ontario F3s in 1996, but the last one I can think of was Edmonton.

 

[John Hudson]

I was wondering, when was the last F4 tornado in Canada? I know of the Pine Lake tornado in 2000 which was an F3 and the Ontario F3s in 1996, but the last one I can think of was Edmonton.

You're right, Tony, the last F4 was indeed Edmonton. Being a far less frequent occurrence in Canada, tornadoes of this strength are usually memorable.

So, that's twenty years passed between F4's.


John
VE4 JTH

 

[Scott A. Kampas]

The US is the only country using the EF scale, all others are retaining the F scale because of the EF scales bias towards US construction.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

...because of the EF scales bias towards US construction.

So does the F-Scale. Both were developed using U.S. constructions standards.

But the EF-scale allows for the addition of new damage indicators (DI), which can include construction standards for different parts of the world. In other words, the EF scale is more applicable outside the U.S. This will be a point of discussion when I co-present on the EF-Scale at the 4th European Conference on Severe Storms this September.

 

[Scott A. Kampas]

So does the F-Scale. Both were developed using U.S. constructions standards.

But the EF-scale allows for the addition of new damage indicators (DI), which can include construction standards for different parts of the world. In other words, the EF scale is more applicable outside the U.S. This will be a point of discussion when I co-present on the EF-Scale at the 4th European Conference on Severe Storms this September.

Other countries should be highly interested. The reason they give for retaining the F scale is the US-centrism and lack of resources of modifying the EF scale for their respective countries.

I should also clarify that the UK continues to use the TORRO scale, not F or EF.

 

[Steven Williams]

The US is the only country using the EF scale, all others are retaining the F scale because of the EF scales bias towards US construction

I would find it strange if other countries don't go to the EF scale. This is an upgrade to the F scale which is now surely redundant.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Other countries should be highly interested. The reason they give for retaining the F scale is the US-centrism and lack of resources of modifying the EF scale for their respective countries.

For single-/double-family residential structures, the F-Scale and the EF-Scale are identical in every way, except that the wind estimates have been "corrected" for the EF scale. A house rated F3 in the old scale is rated EF3 in the new scale, etc., etc. Therefore, there is no reason why anyone should retain the old F-scale, and it is bad since the wind estimates are defunct.

I should also clarify that the UK continues to use the TORRO scale, not F or EF.

That will probably never change - the Brits are pretty steadfast about using their own scale, regardless of any suggestions from the international science community. Just hope they consider revising the wind estimates since I suspect they also remain too high.

 

[davecarlsen]

You're right, Tony, the last F4 was indeed Edmonton. Being a far less frequent occurrence in Canada, tornadoes of this strength are usually memorable.

So, that's twenty years passed between F4's.

Not quite. Birtle, MB had an F4 in 1994. So it's only been 13 years.

 

[John Hudson]

Not quite. Birtle, MB had an F4 in 1994. So it's only been 13 years.

That's right, I totally forgot about Birtle, Dave.

Must be age.


John
VE4 JTH

 

[Robert Dewey]

Being a far less frequent occurrence in Canada, tornadoes of this strength are usually memorable.

I wouldn't neccesarily use the word "strength" - rather the EF and F scale are based on damage. In other words, Canada may have frequent strong to violent tornadoes, they just don't hit any structures, giving them a low EF/F scale rating.

 

[afischer]

Southern Manitoba seems to get some doozies. Was the Pilot Mount MB tornado of July 2, 2005 ever rated? Maybe it didn't hit anything, either. That tornado, along with its friend across the border near Hallock MN, were absolutely insane.

 

[John Hudson]

Southern Manitoba seems to get some doozies. Was the Pilot Mount MB tornado of July 2, 2005 ever rated? Maybe it didn't hit anything, either. That tornado, along with its friend across the border near Hallock MN, were absolutely insane.

I believe they rated the Pilot Mound storm a solid F2. There was some property damage reported with this tornado.


John
VE4 JTH

 

[Terry Tyler]

has anyone seen the video of the elie tornado on TWC?

i saw some really incredible footage of the tornado not to long ago, and havent been able to find it on the internet...

does anyone know where to find it?

 

[rdale]

There are some video clips on this in the REPORTS section.