WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — National Weather Service officials confirmed Thursday that two tornadoes touched down late Wednesday in northeast Pennsylvania, causing severe damage to a major commercial district and destroying homes.

The National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York, sent teams Thursday to two counties in Pennsylvania to determine if tornadoes were part of a severe weather system that also destroyed box stores, smashed cars and left at least six people injured.

Photos and videos of the aftermath show a shopping center in Wilkes-Barre, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Philadelphia, with roofs torn off, cars overturned and storefronts shattered. Similar photos surfaced Thursday morning from Granville, Franklin and Leroy townships, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) further north of Wilkes-Barre, showing collapsed structures and shattered windows.

The investigators' report from Wilkes-Barre said the tornado damage was consistent with an EF2-strength tornado, meaning the average wind speed reached between 111 and 135 mph. Tornadoes are categorized from EF0, which are weaker with wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph, to EF5, which are considered violent with wind speeds of more than 200 mph.

The report said winds likely hit 130 mph as the tornado traveled about half a mile after first touching down near the Wyoming Valley Mall. Investigators said "structures were sheared off near their foundation" when describing the damage.