Two tornadoes touched down in eastern Tennessee on Thursday night, killing two people and causing widespread damage to rural communities outside Knoxville, the authorities said.

In Morgan County, Tenn., a mother and daughter were killed at home and three other people were injured when a tornado touched down about 8 p.m., according to local emergency management officials. The tornado also damaged or destroyed more than a dozen homes, WVLT News reported.

The National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn., confirmed that the tornado, which was rated an EF2, reached wind speeds of up to 135 miles per hour.

The second tornado, which hit Grainger County, Tenn., about 9:30 p.m., was rated an EF1 tornado with wind speeds of up to 110 m.p.h., according to the Weather Service. There were no deaths or reports of residential damage.

Researchers rate tornadoes using the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF) from 0 to 5.

Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee said on social media that he would travel to the area on Friday and asked that his followers join him “in lifting our neighboring Tennesseans up in prayer as response teams help survivors.”

Last year was among the most intense years for tornadoes in a decade, bringing 1,910 confirmed tornadoes across the United States. Twenty tornadoes have already been confirmed in 2025.

The tornadoes in Morgan and Grainger Counties were the first in eastern Tennessee this year, the Weather Service said. Since 1950, the area has experienced 13 confirmed tornadoes in the month of February.

The severe weather also affected power, phone and internet communications across the area. As of Friday morning, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said there were 2,300 reports of power outages statewide.

In Morgan County, more than 100 emergency workers were deployed to canvass the area in the aftermath of the tornado. The storm also brought heavy rains, winds and hail, said Aaron Evans, a spokesman for emergency management in Morgan County.

In an interview, Mr. Evans said that the community had grown accustomed to severe weather events, adding that the county had experienced three tornadoes in the past three years.

“Unfortunately, everyone is kind of familiar with what goes on and what could happen,” Mr. Evans said. “Everyone tries to be well prepared.”

Mr. Evans said his agency had received dozens of calls from residents offering help with food, water and other donated supplies, adding that the close-knit community is full of residents willing to help their fellow neighbors.

“These are especially resilient people,” Mr. Evans said.