Officials have reported that at least one person was killed after tornadoes hit Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which was downgraded to a tropical depression.
The fatality occurred in Chesterfield County just south of Richmond, the state’s capital, after a building collapsed on Monday afternoon.
Chesterfield County Lieutenant Jason Elmore confirmed the reports of the death via Twitter.
“We can confirm one fatality at the building collapse,” he wrote. “All other employees accounted for. We transported one other minor injury to hospital.” He later added: “Recovery effort is complete. The deceased male has been removed from the collapsed building.”
The Wakefield, Virginia National Weather Service had previously issued multiple tornado warnings to various areas in Virginia, warning residents to take cover.
According to a local CBS report, more than 6,000 Virginia residents are reported to be without power in the Richmond area, where multiple tornadoes were reported.
Richmond-area resident Thomas Livingston described what it was like to hear the tornado strike nearby in an interview with the Richmond Times-Patch.
"I heard something coming,” he said. “You recognise that it wasn’t normal, but it keeps coming, louder and louder, snapping and tearing, and you could hear every bit of it.”
Residents in North and South Carolina continue to cope with floodwaters as the death toll from the storm has risen to at least 32.
