Two tornadoes that killed six people in North Dakota and New York each had wind speeds topping 100 mph and caused brief but widespread damage as they tore through largely rural areas, officials said.

The severe storms caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure in several parts of eastern North Dakota.

While North Dakota sees an average of about 23 tornadoes a year, fatalities are rare, National Weather Service data indicates. The last tornado to claim three or more lives in the state was a July 4, 1978, storm that killed five people in Elgin. It was recorded as an F4.