Abstract:This paper reviews the existing different types of wind speed scales, and rates in detail the intensity of the tornado causing heavy casualties on June 23, 2016 in Funing County of Jiangsu Province, and the intensity of the downburst on June 1, 2015, causing the “Dongfangzhixing (Eastern Star)” cruise ship overturn. Furthermore, issues of the existing wind speed scales are discussed, and future work is presented. Based on detailed damage survey data, the Funing tornado intensity is rated EF4, and the downburst causing the cruise ship overturn is only EF1. Also, the intensity rating of the two catastrophic events clearly shows the differences between EF scale and F scale. However, the damage at each site caused by the Funing tornado still need further rate. Due to the structure and conditions of different buildings and vegetation, the corresponding environments and the complexity of the mechanism causing damage, there must be an amount of uncertainties in the tornado or downburst intensity rating. Tornado intensity rating has more uncertainties than downburst because of the complex vortex structure and spatial distribution of air pressure of tornado, and impacts of wind driven debris caused by tornado. Improving objectivity, applicability, accuracy, consistency, and convenience of wind speed scale is an inevitable demand of future work for intensity rating of tornado or downburst. Comprehensive wind damage scale in future also need be developed to integrate intensity distribution, path length and width, movement speeds and duration， so as to provide the basis for rating comprehensive impacts of tornado or downburst.