Round Rock tornado damages approximately 350-400 homes, says city

Approximately 350 to 400 homes were damaged by a tornado that hit Round Rock earlier this week, says the city.

The city says that Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT) has sent certified personnel to perform damage assessment on impacted homes in the area.

Also in Round Rock, a shopping center near I-35 and SH-45 was heavily damaged. A Bank of America was hit hard, and multiple vehicles were damaged. One couple worked at a Chili's restaurant in the shopping center, and they said they hid in a fridge as the tornado passed through.

The National Weather Service has released its preliminary report about confirmed tornadoes that hit Central Texas. NWS says EF-2 tornadoes hit Elgin, Round Rock, Granger, and Kingsbury in Guadalupe County. Surveys are being conducted in the Jarrell and Giddings areas today.

NWS says the tornadoes in Elgin and Kingsbury had maximum wind speeds of 130 mph while the tornado that hit Round Rock and Granger had a max wind speed of 135 mph.

Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan signed a disaster declaration Tuesday morning and residents have begun cleanup efforts.

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