A tornado struck the town of Xanxerê in the southern Brazil state of Santa Catarina on Monday, killing at least two people and leaving more than 1,000 homeless, according to The Associated Press. In addition to the deaths, globo.com says that more than 100 people were injured.

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Photos and video from social media showed cars flipped over and significant damage to buildings. The state of Santa Catarina's civil defense department said Tuesday that 500 homes were damaged.

Meteorologist Mamedes Luiz Melo of Inmet Brasilia told globo.com that based on the photos available, the damage rating estimate for the tornado is between F2 and F3.

According to a paper published by scientists at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), tornadoes are most common in the southern part of Brazil where the city of Xanxerê is located. From 1991 to 2010, Brazil saw most of its tornadoes from September through May, which coincides with spring, summer and fall in the Southern Hemisphere.

(MORE: Tornadoes Around the World)

Photos: Sao Paulo Brazil Drought in 2014