Tornadoes can touch down at any point during the year in Texas, but right now we're in the middle of when they're most active. Here's what you need to know.

What is the Difference Between F Tornado and EF Tornado?

For years you probably heard about a F then a number tornado touching down in Texas. That F stands for the Fujita Scale. Dr. Theodore (Ted) Fujita developed a way to measure tornadoes back in 1971. However, since 2007, we have adopted the EF Scale which stands for Enhanced Fujita Scale. This is the estimated calculated wind speed for a tornado in a three second burst. Obviously it can never be 100% accurate because we can't have someone standing directly next to a tornado measuring the speed. Here are the differences.

EF0 Tornado (65 to 85 MPH Wind Gusts)

Londoners Battle Against Wild Weather
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EF1 Tornado (86 to 110 MPH Wind Gusts)

Center For Severe Weather Research Scientists Search For Tornadoes To Study
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EF2 Tornado (111 to 135 MPH Wind Gusts)

Center For Severe Weather Research Scientists Search For Tornadoes To Study
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EF3 Tornado (136 to 165 MPH Wind Gusts)

Kansas Residents Clean Up After Tornado
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EF4 Tornado (166 to 200 MPH Wind Gusts)

Tornados Hit Western Ohio
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EF5 Tornado (Anything Over 200 MPH Wind Gusts)

Joplin, Missouri Reels After F5 Tornado Devastates Town, Kills 125
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  • EF0 and 1 are categorized as WEAK
  • EF2 and 3 are categorized as STRONG
  • EF4 and 5 are categorized as VIOLENT

How Many F5 Tornadoes Have Touched Down in Texas?

Tornado records only go back to 1950. Like I said, the Fujita scale was invented in 1971, but they went back and did previous storms. They believe the first F5 tornado touched down in Texas in Waco on May 11, 1953. Nearly 1/3 of a mile wide, the massive F5 tornado crossed Waco on a path that ran almost south to north, killing 114 persons and injuring 597. It destroyed around 600 homes and other buildings and damaged over 1000, including 2000 vehicles. Some of the survivors had to wait up to 14 hours for rescue.

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Stay safe and below I have some tips on what you should do if a tornado touches down near you.

KEEP READING: What to do after a tornado strikes

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi