Storm cleanup continues after Central Texas thunderstorms topple trees, damage roads

AUSTIN, Texas — Severe thunderstorms that moved through Central Texas Tuesday night left behind downed trees, power outages, and damage across parts of the area.

Scenes from the storms showed powerful winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning moving through the region.

In Georgetown, damage could be seen at a gas station where Chalmer Williams took shelter as the storm moved through.

“If you see the video, the cashier who was in front of me was trying to signal people to come inside,” Williams said. “Luckily, she lets me in, and in my mind I’m thinking ‘man, maybe this isn’t just a thunderstorm,’” he said.

As conditions worsened, Williams said he became more concerned about what was happening outside.

“Especially when the roof of the gas station started to come off, I’m like ‘man, maybe I’m in the middle of a tornado and don’t even know it,’” Williams said.

Meteorologists say the storms were strong, but also fairly well predicted.

“The storm moved into the Austin area and the I-35 corridor right at 9 o’clock, and that was basically what time the model suggested would happen,” said Troy Kimmel, an incident response meteorologist.

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The storms quickly caused problems across the area.

Off Barton Springs Road in Austin, a man was critically injured after a tree fell on him outside Green Mesquite BBQ. The restaurant was closed on Wednesday.

At one point, more than 5,400 Austin Energy customers were without power. Most people have since had their power restored.

Kimmel said straight-line winds can sometimes cause more widespread damage than people realize.

“The straight lines wind do what? They spread out, and they can cause more damage over a wider area. It can affect utilities, bring down trees, and, of course, the power lines over a wider area,” Kimmel said.

On Berry Creek Drive, the ground underneath part of the roadway was washed away, creating additional traffic issues tied to the weather.

With more rain chances in the forecast this week, meteorologists are urging Central Texans to stay weather aware.

For Williams, the experience was a reminder that safety comes first during severe weather.

“There’s going to be hardships, and sometimes we just want to fight through it like I was on I-35,” Williams said. “The best answer is to seek refuge, to seek safety, to seek comfort, and then when it’s time, get back out there and fight.”