Strong microburst winds peaking at 75 mph caused damage in Bertram

BERTRAM, Texas - Strong microburst winds peaking at 75 miles per hour damaged the town of Bertram in Burnet County, according to a National Weather Service report.

The report states there was "no direct evidence" of a tornado. 

Bertram resident Norma Salinas said the storm sounded like a "freight train," adding "...our home kind of shook the windows kind of shook. We took cover in our closet."

No injuries were reported, according to the Bertram Police Department. 

Downtown Bertram sustained the most severe damage. Several buildings were mangled, others deemed a "total loss." 

"It just wasn’t real you know, is this real? Did I dream about this?" said Amanda Powell, whose business Bertram Blender & Boutique was destroyed in the storm. Powell started the smoothie, clothing and home decor business in 2019. 

Next door, the A.B. McGill & Co. General Store was also destroyed. Crews demolished the vacant building before day's end Tuesday. 

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 7 AUSTIN NEWS APP

Nancy Paulette of Austin drove to Bertram to see the demolition. She says her family member built the store in 1905, and her family ran a general store out of the building for years. "It’s super heart-wrenching, it’s a lot of family history, it’s a lot of community history," she said. 

Both the A.B. McGills & Co. and Bertram Blender & Boutique buildings are more than 100 years old. 

"That’s what makes me sick, these buildings have so much history," said Powell. "We’re gonna have to rebuild it, make new history." 

That process is expected to be long and tedious, but the business owners are not alone. Volunteers like Salinas came out in droves to help Tuesday. "I know that if it was my property, that anybody would do the same for us and that’s what we do here in Bertram," she said. 

SIGN UP FOR FOX 7 AUSTIN EMAIL ALERTS

Powell told FOX 7 Austin the support "means a lot." "We’ve had a great outpouring of love from this community." she cried.