ROUND ROCK, Texas – The mayor of Round Rock, Texas said the funnel cloud that appeared on the south side of the city during Monday’s rush hour was actually a tornado.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt (that) it was a tornado,” said Mayor Craig Morgan. “I’m sitting there watching the news and you see it coming right here at Kalahari and hitting the camera, they were spinning.”
Mayor Morgan said funnel clouds were spotted near the Kalahari Resorts around 5 pm, but he quickly lost track of it.
“When that actually hit, we weren’t under a tornado warning we were under a tornado watch most of the day,” Morgan added. “I just think our citizens were prepared and we were just fortunate there was no loss of life. We can repair the property.”
This is one of the worst hit homes I’ve seen so far in Round Rock. The homeowner of 30 years says thankfully they were sheltered in the bathroom because bricks and debris tore through his daughter’s front bedroom. The roof completely gone. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/p8KVOd8un9
— Taisha Walker (@KPRC2Taisha) March 22, 2022
The tornado, which hasn’t officially been confirmed by the National Weather Service, destroyed the roof of the home Dan Williams who has lived in Round Rock for more than 17 years. It also damaged four of his trees.
Williams said he was on the internet when he heard the tornado rip through his Kensington neighborhood like a fast-moving train.
“I looked out the window, and all of a sudden everything started to turn and blow and I saw a tree go by me and a screen blow off.”
Whoa! A homeowner just shared this cell phone video with me that she captured in her Kensington neighborhood of Round Rock last night. You can see the fast moving winds pushing around debris. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/XrpEtl77lQ
— Taisha Walker (@KPRC2Taisha) March 22, 2022
Williams said the twister jumped from house to house, sparing some but destroying others.
“It was here for two minutes and then it was gone,” he said. “But for those two minutes, it just did all kinds of damage.”
As the sun came out Tuesday, so did the power tools and selfless neighbors. Everyone worked together to restore what the storm might have damaged, but couldn’t break.