A June tornado in eastern North Dakota has been upgraded to a rare EF5, marking the first U.S. tornado of that strength in more than a decade, the National Weather Service confirmed Monday.

The tornado, which struck near Enderlin and traveled about 12 miles before ending near Alice, killed three people and caused extreme damage, including tossing an empty train car nearly 500 feet and destroying a farmstead.

EF5 tornadoes, with winds exceeding 201 mph, are exceptionally rare, with only 60 recorded since 1950.

The upgrade from an initial EF3 rating followed a detailed investigation of the tornado’s destruction, highlighting the role of damage-based assessment in the Enhanced Fujita Scale, CNN has reported.

Experts note the EF5 “drought” may reflect changes in the rating system rather than a lack of powerful storms, but the designation now resets the EF5 count.