Tornadoes hit Round Rock, many neighborhoods significantly damaged

Tornadoes damage homes in Round Rock

Families in Central Texas are waking up and assessing the damage to their homes after tornadoes tore through their neighborhoods. FOX 7 Austin's Kelly Saberi has more from one area in Round Rock.

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Families in Central Texas are waking up and assessing the damage left behind after tornadoes touched down in several areas. One of the hardest-hit places was Round Rock in Williamson County where many homes and businesses were significantly damaged by the storm.

There are resources available for those in need. Round Rock officials have set up two temporary shelter locations at Dell Diamond Heritage Center, 3400 E Palm Valley Blvd, and Redbud Elementary School, 1500 Ty Cobb Pl. The Austin Disaster Relief Network is also providing support and collecting donations.

On Southwest Trail in one Round Rock neighborhood, close to 100 homes were damaged. Some homes had entire roofs ripped off and living rooms were filled with glass from broken windows. So far, thankfully, no major injuries have been reported.

Derek Smith, whose home was damaged, said, "I was here in the office. My dogs figured it out before I did hiding beneath my feet...I saw trees swimming a little too hard. By the time I could grab my dog I could hear glass shattering in every direction. I hid in my pantry. As I was peeking out you could see the wind changing direction. It’s surreal."

Another resident, Jennifer Perez, said, "Never in a million years would I have thought we would have gotten hit by a tornado. This is not something you’d think would happen to you or your neighbors."

Tornado hits shopping center in Round Rock

One of at least a dozen tornadoes spotted in Central Texas hit a shopping center in Round Rock. FOX 7 Austin's Tierra Neubaum has more on the damage.

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.

"I saw everything get real quiet outside and saw a tornado was about to hit so I came outside to check it out but back over here towards the highway and I just started seeing all the shingles getting sucked up into the sky so I ran back inside to check on everybody on the side and the other side of the restaurant, try to get everybody as far back away from the windows as possible," said Levi Perez.

Levi's car was damaged but his girlfriend's car was flipped onto its roof.