You’ve probably seen the clickbait headlines or the TikToks. They show a swirling, CGI monster taller than the Burj Khalifa, with a caption screaming about the F10 worst tornado in history. It makes for a great movie plot, but if we’re being honest, it’s total fiction.
In the real world of meteorology, there is no such thing as an F10.
Technically, when Dr. Ted Fujita first sat down in 1971 to design his scale, he actually did map it all the way out to F12. He wanted a system that connected the Beaufort wind scale to Mach 1, the speed of sound. But he was a scientist, not a Hollywood director. He knew perfectly well that the Earth’s atmosphere simply can't produce a vortex that strong.
The Scale We Actually Use
The original Fujita Scale (F-Scale) capped out at F5. In 2007, the U.S. switched to the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. This new system is based on 28 different "damage indicators"—basically, how a storm shreds a Walmart versus how it peels shingles off a ranch-style house.
Even on this refined scale, we stop at EF5. Why? Because once wind speeds cross that 200 mph threshold, the damage is already "total." You can't get more destroyed than a house being swept clean off its foundation and turned into literal dust.
What’s the Closest Thing to an F10 Worst Tornado in History?
If we’re looking for the most violent, terrifying storms ever recorded—the ones people think are F10s—we have to look at a few specific monsters that redefined what we thought was possible.
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1. The Tri-State Tornado (1925)
This is the big one. It’s the deadliest tornado in U.S. history and holds the record for the longest track. It didn't just hop over a field; it stayed on the ground for 219 miles across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.
Imagine a mile-wide wall of debris moving at 70 mph. Not the wind speed—the actual forward movement. You couldn't outrun it in a car today, let alone in a 1925 Model T. It killed 695 people. In the town of Murphysboro, it wiped out 40% of the city in minutes. While it happened before the F-Scale existed, experts later rated it a "definite F5."
2. The Daulatpur-Saturia Tornado (1989)
If you measure "worst" by human life lost, this Bangladesh tragedy is the undisputed king. It killed roughly 1,300 people.
The tragedy here wasn't just the wind; it was the vulnerability. The area was in a massive drought, and the homes were mostly light-weight shacks. When the tornado hit, it didn't just knock buildings down—it essentially vaporized them. Every single home in a six-square-kilometer area was gone.
3. The 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore Tornado
This is the storm that almost broke the scale. During this outbreak in Oklahoma, a mobile Doppler radar (Doppler on Wheels) clocked a wind gust at 301 mph ± 20 mph.
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For a brief moment, the media went wild. Since 318 mph was the theoretical limit for an F5, people started whispering about an F6. The National Weather Service stood their ground, though. Since the damage was "only" F5-level, that’s where it stayed.
The Problem with "F10" Hype
The internet loves a good disaster, but calling something an F10 does a disservice to the actual science. Tornadoes are limited by the energy available in the atmosphere.
To get to an "F10," you’d need wind speeds around 500 or 600 mph. At that point, the air pressure wouldn't just pop your ears; it would likely collapse your lungs. No structure on Earth—not even a nuclear bunker—is rated for that.
Why Some Tornadoes "Feel" Like an F10
Sometimes, a lower-rated storm causes more "worst-case" damage than an EF5. It's all about what the storm hits.
- Population Density: A weak EF1 hitting a mobile home park is a catastrophe.
- Duration: A slow-moving storm grinds debris into the ground like sandpaper.
- Debris Loading: A tornado that sucks up a lumber yard becomes a giant blender.
What You Should Actually Do
If you live in a tornado-prone area, don't worry about mythical F10s. Worry about the EF2 that can still drop a tree through your roof.
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First, know your "safe place." It shouldn't be a room with windows. Basements are best, but an interior closet or bathroom works if you’re on a slab.
Second, get a weather radio. Cell towers go down. Apps lag. A hand-cranked NOAA radio is old school, but it works when the world is ending outside.
Finally, ignore the "F10" videos on YouTube. They’re usually just footage of the 2011 Joplin or Tuscaloosa tornadoes with the contrast turned up. Those real-life EF5s were more than enough of a nightmare without needing a fake number.
To better prepare your home for real-world severe weather, you should look into reinforcing your garage door—it's often the first point of structural failure in high winds—and ensuring your insurance policy specifically covers "windstorm" damage, which can sometimes be a separate deductible.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your local county's emergency alert system and sign up for SMS notifications.
- Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and NOAA weather radio today.
- Identify the "lowermost interior" room in your house and clear out enough floor space for your entire family to sit comfortably.