Tornado kills 1, rips roof off building on path of destruction through Richmond, Virginia

There was at least one fatality after a tornado ripped through an area close to Richmond, Va., in the wake of Florence on Monday.

One person died after a warehouse collapsed and was left in pieces on Speeks Drive in Chesterfield County, CBS affiliate WTVR-TV reported.

Coverage of tornadoes on Globalnews.ca:

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The victim was a man who worked at Old Dominion Flooring, Chesterfield Fire/EMS public information officer Lt. Jason Elmore tweeted.

Crews had recovered the man’s body from the building at about 8:45 p.m. local time, he added.

A second individual was taken to hospital but was not seriously hurt.

Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) had tracked as many as seven possible tornadoes in the Richmond area on Friday, but they still needed to be confirmed by the National Weather Service.

The extreme weather also damaged a gas station on the Midlothian Turnpike, according to ABC affiliate WRIC.

The station’s roof was damaged alongside its store.

The weather also wreaked plenty of damage at the West End Assembly of God church in Henrico County.

It now has to close for “at least a couple of days,” WRIC reported.

Meanwhile, neighbours in the Hampton Park neighbourhood of Chesterfield County reported damage to their homes, including to the roofs and siding, WTVR reported.

Trees also fell on vehicles in that area.

Here are some photos and video of the path of destruction cut by extreme weather in the Richmond, Va., area on Friday:

• With files from the Associated Press