Video: Tornado Touches Down in Richmond, Virginia, 1 Dead

Jack Phillips
9/17/2018
Updated:
9/17/2018

Reports on the afternoon of Sept. 17 say that at least one tornado was wreaking havoc, damaging property near Richmond, Virginia.

Richmond.com reported that the tornado damaged buildings and overturned a car.

Reports on the afternoon Sept. 17 say that at least one tornado did damage near Richmond, Virginia. (Lt. Jason Elmore.CFEMSPIO)
Reports on the afternoon Sept. 17 say that at least one tornado did damage near Richmond, Virginia. (Lt. Jason Elmore.CFEMSPIO)
“We can confirm one fatality at the building collapse. All other employees accounted for. We transported one other minor injury to hospital,” Jason Elmore, a public information officer for the Richmond Police Department, said.

A line of storms connected to Tropical Depression Florence swept over the area.

There were at least 10 reports of tornadoes across Virginia, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center, according to the Weather Channel.

A tornado warning was issued for Richmond, Virginia, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS said that at 4:43 p.m. ET, “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Manakin, or near Bon Air, moving northeast at 35 mph.”

“Watch out for dark, rotating clouds. If you see one, take shelter immediately!” it added.

A warning was issued for the City of Richmond in central Virginia, north-central Chesterfield County in central Virginia, southeastern Goochland County in central Virginia, northwestern Henrico County in central Virginia, central Hanover County in central Virginia, and east-central Powhatan County in central Virginia.

The tornado, it said, will be near Bon Air, University Of Richmond and Tuckahoe around 4:55 p.m. ET as well as Wyndham at around 5 p.m. Then it will be near Richmond, Laurel, and Lakeside at 5:05 p.m. It will near Ashland, Randolph Macon College, Hanover, and Studley at around 5:15 p.m.

Previously, the National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Florence, which hit the Carolinas last weeks, would be capable of spawning tornadoes.

AccuWeather reported that several tornadoes touched down, doing damage around Richmond. It’s not clear if there were any fatalities or injuries related to the tornado.

Photos published by AccuWeather showed several buildings that were destroyed.

WTVR reported that a warehouse was totally destroyed by the twister.
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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