Barreling across northeastern Nebraska on Monday, a pair of twin tornadoes leveled the small farming town of Pilger, NE. The so-called “sisters” claimed the lives of two people and injured numerous others.

The two wedge tornadoes were reported to have been on the ground for nearly an hour and traveled along parallel pathways getting as close as one mile apart. With winds ranging between 166 and 200 mph, the National Weather Service has rated both twisters EF-4. That is the second highest ranking on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Massive twin tornadoes are rare events. Experts say, if one thunderstorm spawns two separate twisters simultaneously, one usually dissipates or is overtaken by the other. The size, strength, and longevity of Monday’s tornadoes were extremely unusual.

With warm, moist air lingering over the region, violent weather returned to Nebraska on Tuesday. A multi-vortex tornado was spotted in Coleridge, NE, but that storm has not yet been rated. More severe weather, including possible tornadoes, is expected in the area again on Wednesday.

Rare twin tornadoes tear across Nebraska. Image Credit: KEYC