The town of Ermont, about 20 kilometers northeast of Paris, was worst hit by the sudden twister that caused damage across about 10 districts.
Regional prosecutor Guirec Le Bras told AFP one 23-year-old construction worker was killed on a building site and 10 people had been injured with four in critical condition.
The tornado toppled cranes and tore off building roofs, authorities said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on the X platform that it had been a storm of “rare intensity”.
Videos shared on social media showed three cranes falling within seconds of each other.
One crane fell on a clinic, without causing injuries, and another on a residential building.
Scores of firefighters, police and medical personnel were at the scene, authorities said.