THREE tornadoes swept through central and southeastern Virginia in the United States on Monday, injuring about 200 people and damaging dozens of homes and businesses, officials said.

The city of Suffolk in the southeastern part of the state was hardest hit by the late afternoon storms, said Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Laura Southard. She said earlier reports of a fatality linked to the severe weather were incorrect.

Injuries and damage were also reported in Colonial Heights in central Virginia, Southard said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said three confirmed tornadoes plowed through the region.

“One of the tornadoes hit the Lawrenceville area in Brunswick County,” said NWS meteorologist Brian Hurley. “The second tornado developed to the north of Colonial Heights ... The other more significant tornado occurred in the city of Suffolk.”

Television pictures showed extensive property damage — flattened homes, and lawns and streets covered in piles of debris and toppled trees.

(SD-Agencies)