( CNN ) -- An assistant New York state attorney general was killed during severe storms that barreled through the Northeast , killing at least two others as they unleashed strong winds and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers . `` On behalf of all New Yorkers , I would like to express my sympathy to the loved ones of Assistant Attorney General Richard Schwartz , who tragically lost his life during last night 's severe storm , '' Gov . Andrew Cuomo said in a statement Friday . The storms struck Thursday , and at one point that evening , severe thunderstorm watches were in effect for a continuous stretch from Oklahoma through New Jersey . In Pennsylvania , a tree crushed a woman in her car as she sought shelter at a campsite , killing her , said Glenn Dunn , the emergency management coordinator for Potter County . Tornadoes touched down in the Pennsylvania towns of Coudersport and Montrose on Thursday , forecasters said after conducting a survey of the area . The one in Coudersport was rated an EF-1 with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph , and the Montrose one was an EF-0 with maximum winds of 80 mph , the National Weather Service said . The service also reported that damage in Elmira , New York , was caused by an EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum wind speeds as high as 110 mph . In New York City , a 61-year-old man died Thursday when lightning struck a Brooklyn church , sending a scaffold crashing down on him , authorities said . Witnesses reported trees in the region buckling under the severe weather 's impact . `` The trees were bending sideways , ( and ) the sky just went really dark and green , '' Mark Ventrini , a photographer , reported seeing as he headed toward Belmar , New Jersey . `` Some of the storms were pretty intense . '' Emergency managers in Broome County , New York , reported people trapped inside a home because of downed trees in the town of Vestal . Strong storms also caused damage in Binghamton , New York , but the weather service said no injuries or fatalities were reported there . There were also extensive power outages . More than 100,000 First Energy customers in Pennsylvania did n't have electricity Thursday night , while other utilities such as PECO and PPL reported tens of thousands of others similarly in the dark . Cuomo issued a news release stating there were nearly 95,000 homes and businesses without power in New York state , mostly NYSEG and Central Hudson customers . He also declared a state of emergency for hard-hit Chemung County in the southwestern part of the state . `` The brunt of the storm itself was intense but short -- there was very strong rain and wind for about 15 minutes , at which point the rain cleared and the lightning show began , '' said Matthew Burke , a CNN iReporter who photographed lightning sprawling across the New York City skyline . Stunning pictures arise from New York storm . Finding beauty in violent storms . CNN 's Greg Botelho , Lila King , Julie Cannold and Dominique Dodley contributed to this report .
A tornado touched down in Chicago , Illinois , on Thursday , forecasters said . ` ` trees were bending sideways , '' a man in New York said . The National Weather Service reports possible tornado touchdowns in the area .