(NECN/ABC) - Americans from coast to coast are coping with destructive storms, that caused flooding, wind damage, power outages, and in the upper Midwest, some of the worst winter weather of the season. But it was in North Carolina where the storm turned deadly. Fierce winds in Gastonia, North Carolina, turned a routine drive into a deadly collision with a fallen tree. The tree smashed a 72-year-old woman's Cadillac, killing her. Windstorms made a mess out of northern New Jersey neighborhoods as well, blowing over trees, knocking out power and sending students home from schools. Eastern Pennsylvania got hit with relentless downpours. Rescue crews in special watercraft pulled people from their homes after floodwaters rose rapidly. Some bridges in Pennsylvania were off-limits, posing a hazard to commuters. Driving is discouraged in southern Minnesota, where more blowing snow and blizzard like conditions are expected Tuesday. The Minnesota National Guard helped those stranded, after white- out conditions forced traffic off Interstate 90. Western Iowa was blustery too. Drivers in Council Bluffs lost control on icy roads. Even commuters with four-wheel-drive complained about dangerous condition and in northern California, coastal homes hugging a cliff in the San Francisco area, are in big danger. Stormy seas and gusty winds eroded the shoreline and crews plan to put concrete along the cliff before there's any more storm damage. ABC News reporter Vinita Nair has more on the wild weather.