F3 tornado in Franklin County, Texas

Tornado May 4, 1999 · Franklin County, Texas

Rating

2.1 mi

Path length

25 yd

Path width

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 25 yards (0.01 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Supercells developed in unstable airmass ahead of strong upper low over central plains states. Damage confined to broken branches off trees and snapped twigs. This tornado moved into Titus county, TX.

Began near Mt Vernon (33.1800, -95.1700).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5696335. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.