The tornadoes, which also injured three people and caused widespread damage, reached wind speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

The year’s first deadly US tornado struck after dark Thursday, killing two people in a small East Tennessee community as the first of five back-to-back, jet stream-driven winter storms pummeled the eastern United States.

At least two people were killed and three more injured when a possible tornado ripped through communities near Knoxville, Tennessee, Thursday night causing widespread damage.