JACKSBORO, Texas — The tornado that tore through parts of Jacksboro received an EF-3 rating, according to the National Weather Service Office out of Fort Worth. Survey teams have confirmed 10 total tornadoes hit the area -- which may increase as the National Weather Service continues to investigate damage.
In North Texas Monday, several cities suffered heavy damage from an intense line of storms that moved through the area in the early evening hours. Those same storms continued into East Texas, causing damage, power outages and a threat of flash flooding.
The hardest-hit areas impacted by the Jacksboro tornado were near and at Jacksboro High School near the subdivision, according to survey teams from the National Weather Service.
The EF scale or also known as the Enhanced Fujita Scale is used to assign a tornado a "rating" based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. It became operational in 2007.
When tornado-related damage is surveyed, it is compared to a list of damage indicators and degrees of damage which help estimate the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced. From that, a rating (from EF0 to EF5) is assigned.
The EF Scale was revised from the original Fujita Scale to reflect better examinations of tornado damage surveys so as to align wind speeds more closely with associated storm damage. The new scale has to do with how most structures are designed.
With Monday's tornado in Jacksboro being assigned an EF-3 rating, that means there were estimated to be three-second wind gusts that were between 136-165 mph.
The range of the wind speeds based on the respective EF rating is as followed:
- EF0 -- 65-85 mph
- EF1 -- 86-110 mph
- EF2 -- 111-135 mph
- EF3 -- 136-165 mph
- EF4 -- 166-200 mph
- EF5 -- Over 200 mph
Along with the Jacksboro tornado, there were nine other tornadoes the National Weather Service confirmed had formed on Monday.
Just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, officials confirmed a tornado in Wise County southeast of Decatur received an EF-0 rating, and a tornado in Tarrant County near River Oaks received an EF-1 rating.
About 15 minutes after that, survey teams confirmed a tornado that hit Possum Kingdom Lake in North Texas Monday received an EF-1 rating.
Three tornadoes also hit Montague County on Monday. A tornado with an EF-1 rating touched down southwest of Bowie, another with an EF-1 rating was confirmed east of Bowie and an EF-0 landed five miles east of Nocona.
The National Weather Service confirmed a brief tornado impacted northern parts of Carrollton in northern Dallas County on Monday. Survey teams gave the tornado an EF-0 rating.
At 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, survey teams confirmed an EF1 tornado also hit Cooke County Monday. It started south of Era and went through the west side of Gainesville.
Right before 5 p.m., an EF2 tornado was confirmed to have landed in Grayson County as well.