SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov remembers the disappointment of years past.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had eliminated his Florida Panthers from the NHL playoffs in each of their previous three meetings, and if the Panthers wanted to cement themselves as one of the NHL's best, this year's result needed to be different.
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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov remembers the disappointment of years past.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, left, and Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers players celebrate after they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1, during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and left wing Matthew Tkachuk, left, congratulate center Carter Verhaeghe (23) after Verhaeghe scored a goal during the third period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers centers Carter Verhaeghe (23) and Sam Reinhart, right, battle for the puck with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A shot from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman gets past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a goal during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) is congratulated by teammates after he scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour flips over Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) as left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) chases the puck followed by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe, right, is congratulated by defenseman Niko Mikkola after Verhaeghe scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) scores against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky deflects a shot during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
“At some point you knew you were going to have them again," Barkov said, "and you've got to be able to get over that hump, and we did it this year.”
Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist to go along with 31 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs.
Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Florida bested Boston and Philadelphia on home ice in the first two rounds of the 1996 playoffs, then eliminated Carolina at home in last season’s Eastern Conference finals en route to their second Stanley Cup Final appearance.
The Panthers didn’t downplay it: Monday night’s win meant a lot.
All three playoff series between the two teams have come in the last four years, with Tampa Bay winning the first one 4-2 in 2021 and then sweeping Florida in 2022. The Panthers won the first three games this year before the Lightning avoided elimination with a 6-3 win in Game 4, forcing the Panthers to close out the series on home ice.
“This was a big series for us," said Tkachuk, who had three goals and six assists in the first round. “We always knew that for us ultimately to win it all, it was probably going to have to go through Tampa at some point, so just an amazing feeling closing it out at home.”
Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.
Verhaeghe opened scoring for the Panthers with a four-on-four goal just 45 seconds into the second period. Verhaeghe grabbed his own rebound and wristed a shot past Vasilevsky.
Barkov gave Florida a 2-0 lead when he pounced on a rebound for a short-handed goal — his first of the playoffs — at 7:22 of the second period. He added another at 8:54 of a four-goal third to restore the Panthers' two-goal cushion after Hedman got the Lightning on the board 59 seconds after Barkov's first score.
The Panthers had 22 shots on goal in the second, which is the second-most in a single period of a playoff game in franchise history. Florida had 23 shots in the third period of a playoff win against Pittsburgh in 1996.
Rodrigues added a score for good measure with less than six minutes left to play on a wrist shot that was his first goal of the playoffs, and Verhaeghe scored an empty-netter with just under four minutes to play to stretch his franchise-record goals total to 20. Mikkola added to the onslaught with another empty-netter nearly three minutes later.
Anthony Cirelli appeared to have scored Tampa Bay's first goal when he tapped a loose puck past Bobrovsky with seven minutes left in the first period. The goal was overturned, however, after the Panthers challenged for goaltender interference. Former Panther Anthony Duclair's right skate made contact with Bobrovsky as he was trying to make the save.
The Lightning had another goal waved off in the second period when Mikhail Sergachev appeared to tie it on a long-range shot from the blue line. The goal was immediately waved off because of goaltender interference by Cirelli, and upheld after a failed Tampa Bay challenge.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he didn't feel Duclair's interference was “egregious” enough to warrant disallowing the goal.
"Now we have to rebound from that. We do, and then the next one is a net-front battle. I will give the goallie credit — He quit on the play. He completely quit. There was maybe incidental contact at most.
“Net-front battles aren't allowed anymore?" Cooper continued. "That's part of everybody's game. The boxing out that goes there is like prison rules in the playoffs. But it's not prison rules for the goallie? ... And when the players are working so hard on both teams, like I said it's a war down there, I think we're letting the goallies off the hook.”
The Lightning's NHL-best power play during the regular season was inconsistent in this first round. Tampa Bay had two man-advantages in the first 10 minutes of the opening period — Florida killed them both off — and finished the game 0 for 3.
UP NEXT
The Panthers will play either Boston or Toronto in the second round. Boston leads that series 3-1 with Game 5 on Tuesday.
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (91) left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) and center Aleksander Barkov, right, celebrate after Barkov scored during the third period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, left, and Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers players celebrate after they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1, during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and left wing Matthew Tkachuk, left, congratulate center Carter Verhaeghe (23) after Verhaeghe scored a goal during the third period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers centers Carter Verhaeghe (23) and Sam Reinhart, right, battle for the puck with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A shot from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman gets past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a goal during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) is congratulated by teammates after he scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour flips over Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) as left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) chases the puck followed by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe, right, is congratulated by defenseman Niko Mikkola after Verhaeghe scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) scores against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky deflects a shot during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
HOUSTON (AP) — Power outages could last weeks in parts of Houston after thunderstorms with hurricane-force winds tore through the city, an official said Friday, knocking out electricity to nearly 1 million homes and businesses.
“We are going to have to talk about this disaster in weeks, not days,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s top elected official, said at a news conference.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said four, and possibly five, people were killed after storms Thursday swept through Harris County, which includes Houston. Officials warned residents that it would be a slow cleanup and that some residents should brace to be without electricity for days, if not longer.
“It was fierce, it was intense, it was quick and most Houstonians didn’t have time to get themselves out of harm’s way,” Whitmire said.
He said at least 2,500 traffic lights were out and warned would-be looters that “police are out in force including 50 state troopers sent to the area to prevent looting."
The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. School districts in the Houston area canceled classed for more than 400,000 students and government offices were closed. City officials urged people to stay off roads, many of which were flooded or lined with downed power lines and malfunctioning traffic lights.
Whitmire called downtown “a mess” on Thursday and told people not to go to work Friday, unless they were considered essential workers.
At least two of the deaths were caused by falling trees and another happened when a crane blew over in strong winds, officials said. Whitmire said wind speeds reached 100 mph (160 kph) “with some twisters.” Whitmire said the powerful gusts were reminiscent of 2008’s Hurricane Ike, which pounded the city.
Hundreds of windows were shattered at downtown hotels and office buildings, with glass littering the streets below. Fallen trees, power lines and broken glass have made some areas impassable, the city said. The state was sending Department of Public Safety officers to secure the area.
The storms weren't over Friday. Gulf Coast states could experience scattered, severe thunderstorms with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. Heavy to excessive rainfall is possible for eastern Louisiana into central Alabama, the National Weather Service said. Flood watches and warnings remained Friday for Houston and areas to the east.
The powerful storms also struck neighboring Louisiana on Thursday and left more than 215,000 customers without power at their peak. More than 100,000 Entergy Louisiana customers in the New Orleans area lost power, NOLA.com reported.
The Storm Prediction Center’s website showed a report of a tornado in Convent, Louisiana, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) from New Orleans, with multiple reports of trees and power poles down.
A suspected tornado hit the Romeville area of St. James Parish on Thursday night with some homes impacted and trees down, but no injuries or fatalities had been reported, parish officials said in a social media post on Friday morning.
There were wind gusts of 84 mph (135 kph) at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and 82 mph (132 kph) at New Orleans Lakefront Airport, according to Tim Erickson, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office for New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The office for New Orleans and Baton Rouge issued a flash flood warning through Saturday.
Back in Houston, at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, the retractable roof was closed due to the storm. But the wind was so powerful it still blew rain into the stadium. Puddles formed on the outfield warning track, but the game against the Oakland Athletics still was played.
Flights were briefly grounded at Houston's two major airports. Sustained winds topping 60 mph (96 kph) were recorded at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The power outage numbers were slowly improving Friday morning, down to about 773,000 in Texas and 97,000 in Louisiana, according to Poweroutage.us. At one point, Texas had more than 900,000 outages.
CenterPoint Energy warned customers in the Houston area to “be prepared for extended weather-related power outages.”
The problems extended to the city's suburbs, with emergency officials in neighboring Montgomery County describing the damage to transmission lines as “catastrophic” and warning that power could be impacted for several days.
Heavy storms slammed the Houston area during the first week of May, leading to numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes.
The story has been updated to correct that school districts across the Houston area canceled classes Friday, not just the Houston Independent School District.
Baumann reported from Bellingham, Washington, and Weber from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters Sarah Brumfield in Silver City, Maryland, and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to htis story.
Dionysius Torreros, of the City of Houston, works on clearing a tree that toppled across Bingle Road in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A U.S. Postal Service truck is flipped on its side at the intersection of Bingle and Sowden in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Janet Melgar makes to go orders using the light of her phone and an open door after losing power at Anita's Honduras Restaurant on Sowden Road in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
The wall of a tire shop at the intersection of Sowden and Bingle is blown out in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A Houston police officer walks back to his vehicle after clearing people away from a damaged tire shop at the intersection of Sowden and Bingle in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Neighbors survey damage around their homes near Bingle Road in the aftermath of a severe storm, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Ada Duarte takes to go orders using only the light of her phone after losing power at Anita's Honduras Restaurant on Sowden Road in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A U.S. Postal Service truck is flipped on its side at the intersection of Bingle and Sowden in the aftermath of a severe storm, Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A Houston police officer walks back to his vehicle after clearing people away from a damaged tire shop at the intersection of Sowden and Bingle in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
A video photojournalist shoots footage of damage at a tire shop at the intersection of Sowden and Bingle in the aftermath of a severe storm on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill as crews raced to restore power and remove uprooted trees and debris. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Glass from broken high-rise windows covers a downtown street in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A man crosses the street as a traffic light hangs from a wire in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Fallen bricks from the wall of building cover a parking lot in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A woman looks to leave downtown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A man walks down the street as a traffic light hangs from a wire in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Broken glass covers a downtown street in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A woman rolls her luggage across the street as she looks to leave downtown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Blown out windows on a high-rise downtown building are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Blown out windows on a high-rise downtown building are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Cherly Herpich takes a photograph of a downtown building with blown out windows in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Glass from broken high-rise windows covers a downtown street in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Cherly Herpich takes a photograph of a downtown building with blown out window in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Blown out windows on a high-rise downtown building are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Blown out windows on a high-rise downtown building are shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm Friday, May 17, 2024, in Houston. Thunderstorms pummeled southeastern Texas on Thursday killing at least four people, blowing out windows in high-rise buildings and knocking out power to more than 900,000 homes and businesses in the Houston area. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Police officers move a fallen tree out of the street at Prairie and Travis Street downtown after a strong thunderstorm moved through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A worker walks down a street covered in glass caused by damage from a severe thunderstorm that passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A building has blownout windows caused from damage after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown is shown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Downtown streets are covered in broken glass in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A damaged building is shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
People stop to take pictures of damage after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Members of the Relief Gang help remove fallen tree limbs from crushed cars in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Debris fills the feeder road near Interstate 10 and Interstate 45 near downtown Houston after severe storms passed through the area Thursday, May 16, 2024 (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers clean up damage inside a downtown restaurant after a severe thunderstorm passed through downtown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Shattered glass covers the street outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown after a severe thunderstorm passed through Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A worker sweeps up shards of broken glass on McKinney near Travis after heavy wind and rain ripped through the region Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers pause to look a building with blownout glass windows caused by damage from a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rain blows in from the windows as a severe thunderstorm hit before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Rapper Trae tha Truth, in yellow, cuts fallen tree limbs on top of a car in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A damaged building is shown in the aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that passed through downtown, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Fans make their way into Minute Maid Park as a severe thunderstorm hit before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Workers clean up broken glass inside a damaged downtown restaurant after a severe thunderstorm, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A car crushed by falling bricks from a fallen building wall sits in a downtown parking lot after a severe thunderstorm passed through, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A boy walks past a large tree that fell on a home after heavy wind and rain ripped through the region Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Houston. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Transmission power lines are down near the Grand Parkway and West Road after a storm Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Cypress, Texas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)
