Tornadoes are one of nature’s most destructive forces. Their powerful winds are capable of tremendous feats of strength, like lifting heavy vehicles off the ground and tossing them through the air. So just how strong does a tornado need to be to lift a car? The short answer is that most tornadoes are capable of lifting small to medium sized cars. However, extremely large and heavy vehicles like buses or trucks would require an exceptionally powerful tornado.
The origins of tornadoes
Tornadoes form when winds in a thunderstorm start spinning and rotating vertically. This creates a funnel-shaped cloud extending downwards from the storm towards the ground. Inside this funnel, wind speeds can reach over 300 mph. The spinning, funnel-shaped winds touch down and sweep across the landscape, becoming a tornado.
Tornadoes are classified using the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranks them from EF0 to EF5 based on wind speed and destructive power. An EF0 tornado has winds of 65-85 mph while an EF5 has terrifying winds over 200 mph. Tornadoes can last from several seconds to over an hour, traveling along a destructive path up to 50 miles long.
How tornadoes lift cars
The incredibly fast spinning winds inside a tornado generate immense upward suction and lift. Any objects caught in the winds, like vehicles and debris, experience strong upward forces. The lower air pressure inside the tornado also creates a lifting effect.
Vehicles are especially vulnerable since their broad, flat shape allows winds to catch underneath and lift up. The strong frame and heavy weight of a vehicle would seem to make it resistant to lifting. But tornado winds generate such powerful upward forces that they can overcome a car’s stability and weight.
Factors that influence lifting
Several factors influence whether a tornado can lift a vehicle, including:
- Tornado wind speed – Faster winds generate greater lift
- Size of the vehicle – Smaller and lighter vehicles are easier to lift
- Vehicle aerodynamics – Boxy shapes are more vulnerable to lift
- Anchoring and weight – Heavier vehicles with more traction are harder to lift
In general, the lighter the vehicle and the faster the tornado winds, the easier it is for a tornado to lift the car and toss it through the air.
EF-scale tornadoes capable of lifting cars
Most tornadoes, EF0 to EF2, have sufficient wind speed to lift small vehicles. Here’s a breakdown of which EF-scale tornadoes can lift cars:
EF0 (65-85 mph winds)
EF0 tornadoes are considered weak but still dangerous. They can peel surface roofs off houses, snap tree branches, and lift unanchored mobile homes. They can also lift small vehicles like typical passenger cars and small trucks.
EF1 (86-110 mph winds)
EF1 tornadoes can cause significant roof and window damage to houses. They are capable of lifting most sedans, SUVs, and pickups trucks and can overturn heavy vehicles like buses and delivery trucks.
EF2 (111-135 mph winds)
EF2 tornadoes can seriously damage roofs, windows, and vehicles. These can lift most vehicles completely off the ground and toss them up to 100 yards or more.
EF3 (136-165 mph winds)
EF3 tornadoes are considered strong and do severe damage. They have no trouble lifting vehicles of any size, including large pickup trucks, delivery vans, and full-size buses and can toss them over 100 yards.
EF4/EF5 (>166 mph winds)
The most violent tornadoes, EF4 and EF5, have incredible lifting power. They can lift and toss extremely heavy vehicles like trucks, buses, and trailers over 200 yards or more. Nothing is safe in the path of these monster tornadoes.
Real-world examples of tornadoes lifting vehicles
There are many real-world examples of the power of tornadoes lifting cars and trucks:
- An EF2 tornado in Laramie, Wyoming in 2018 lifted a 4,000 pound Jeep Wrangler over 30 feet in the air and rolled it four times before dropping it in a ditch 300 feet away.
- During the EF5 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado in Oklahoma in 2015, multiple vehicles including trucks were lofted and carried over 500 yards by the 200+ mph winds.
- In an EF3 tornado in Harrisburg, Illinois in 2017, winds estimated at 150 mph lifted two 15-passenger vans high into the air and dropped them over 200 yards away.
- An EF1 tornado in Germany in 2018 lifted a compact car up over a 5 foot tall highway guard rail before dropping it on the other side.
These examples illustrate just how powerful even weak to moderate tornadoes are and their ability to lift thousands of pounds of vehicle weight like they were toys.
What vehicles are too heavy for a tornado to lift?
While tornado winds are formidable, there are limits to what they can lift. Very heavy vehicles usually require the most extreme tornadoes to lift.
Semi-trucks and large trucks
The immense weight of loaded semi-tractor trailers, which can exceed 80,000 pounds, requires very powerful tornadoes to lift and toss. Generally, only EF3, EF4, and EF5 tornadoes have any chance of lifting large semi-trucks.
Train locomotives and railcars
Locomotives often weigh over 100 tons and require tornado winds over 200 mph to lift from the tracks. Freight cars when loaded with heavy materials like coal, stone, or steel may be impossible for even the strongest tornadoes to lift.
Aircraft
Large passenger jets and military planes would require the most powerful tornadoes exceeding over 200 mph to lift when parked and anchored down. Smaller general aviation planes and helicopters are more vulnerable.
| Vehicle Type | Approximate Weight | Tornado Strength Needed to Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Compact car | 3,000 lbs | EF0 |
| Full-size sedan | 4,000 lbs | EF1 |
| SUV | 5,000 lbs | EF1 |
| Pickup truck | 5,000-7,000 lbs | EF2 |
| Van | 6,000-8,000 lbs | EF2 |
| Semi-truck | 80,000 lbs | EF4/EF5 |
| Train locomotive | 100+ tons | EF5 |
The role of anchoring against lift
A vehicle’s anchoring to the ground is a key factor influencing tornado lifting. Vehicles parked in garages or anchored to the ground are much harder to lift than unanchored vehicles.
In open areas, vehicles are vulnerable to lift since they aren’t anchored. Cars caught in tornado winds while driving or parked in surface lots are easily lifted and tossed. But vehicles in underground garages or parked against structures may avoid lift from weaker tornadoes.
Vehicles anchored with tie-downs, like mobile homes or trailers, require much stronger winds to lift them. Proper anchoring can mean the difference between a vehicle remaining on the ground rather than getting tossed through the air during a tornado.
Vehicle anchoring methods
- Parking in underground garages or near sturdy structures
- Tie-downs and straps fixed to the ground or foundations
- Wheel chocks and curbs that prevent movement
- Active warning to move vehicles to safe locations
Avoiding tornado lifting of vehicles
To avoid tornado damage, it’s important to assess the risk and take proper precautions. Some tips include:
- Be aware of tornado watches and warnings for your area
- Know where reliable tornado shelters are located
- Have a planned tornado emergency strategy for home and when driving
- Move vehicles out of vulnerable locations if possible when warnings are issued
- Consider garage parking rather than surface lots when tornado risk is high
- Don’t seek shelter under overpasses which are extremely dangerous in tornadoes
Advanced planning and early warning awareness are key to keeping yourself and vehicles safe from tornadoes. Understanding tornado strength ratings and risks in your area can also help guide preparedness steps.
Conclusion
Tornadoes are capable of tremendous upward wind forces that can lift even multi-ton vehicles off the ground. Most tornadoes, EF0 to EF2, can lift typical sedans, SUVs, and small trucks, especially when vehicles are unanchored. Extreme tornadoes EF3 and above can lift virtually any size vehicle and toss it over 100 yards. Semi-trucks, trains, and aircraft take winds over 200 mph to lift. Proper anchoring, early warnings, and sheltering in underground parking or sturdy structures are the best ways to protect against tornado lifting and damage.