the weather channel's mike seidel is in hard-hit coal city, illinois. >> reporter: violent weather swept across the country, leaving more than 800,000 without power. 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts from ohio to maine splintered and uprooted trees. a tornado touched near boston and after the storm a kaleidoscope sky over fenway and a scare of those in washington as lightning hit a crane. in sheffield, pennsylvania 15-year-old alexis turner was killed while camping in the allegheny national forest with 25 other teens and counselors. >> there is a number of trees down and came and fell into the camp site. >> three others hurt. in new jersey just across the bridge from philadelphia a possible tornado flipped cars at this mall parking lot. >> it was scary. the rain just came in. >> tonight much of the midwest including chicago is bracing for more severe storms after getting slammed by at least 17 tornados the past two days. >> all right, mike seidel from the weather channel, thank you. >>> a developing situation we're monitoring in southern california. a brush fire burning dangerously close to ho