Intense storms strike Northeast, cleanup begins
A state of emergency and curfew remains in effect in Elmira, N.Y., as crews continue clearing trees and repairing power lines that were brought down by a possible tornado.
A crushed automobile is seen the morning after the town was hit by a tornado in Elmira, New York July 27, 2012. Severe thunderstorms unleashed heavy rain and strong winds across parts of the Midwest and Northeast on Thursday, grounding hundreds of flights and leaving tens of thousands of people without power.
Adam Fenster/Reuters
ELMIRA, N.Y.
Communities around the Northeast are cleaning up after strong thunderstorms swept from Ohio into upstate New York, knocking out power to tens of thousands and leaving at least two people dead.
In New York City, the storm is blamed for killing a 61-year-old man who was struck by collapsing scaffolding outside a Brooklyn church. Police say lighting brought bricks down onto the scaffolding. A woman in Pennsylvania was killed by a tree felled by Thursday's powerful storms.
A state of emergency and curfew remains in effect in Elmira, N.Y., as crews continue clearing trees and repairing power lines that were brought down by a possible tornado.
The storms temporarily shut down operations at the annual Ohio State Fair in Columbus.
There's a chance of more storms around the region on Friday.