AUSTIN (KXAN) — The National Weather Service released its detailed storm survey report Thursday evening regarding the Round Rock/Granger tornado earlier this week.
This was the strongest and longest-track tornado of the five confirmed tornadoes thus far in our area, staying on the ground for 41 minutes Monday evening.
We are now learning there were at least 16 injuries, mostly minor, in the tornado.
Round Rock/Granger tornado facts
- Rating: EF-2
- Estimated Peak Wind: 135 mph
- Path Length: 29.29 miles
- Path Width (maximum): 500 yards
- Fatalities: 0
- Injuries: 16
- Start Time: 05:54 PM CDT
- Start Location: 1 mile NNW of Wells Branch (Travis Co.)
- End Time: 06:35 PM CDT
- End Location: 4 miles ESE of Bartlett (Williamson Co.)
The Round Rock/Granger tornado was a long lived tornado that started just southwest of the I-35/I-45 interchange. Touchdown was found near the Silverstone subdivision with weak EF-0 damage (shingles off roofs and fences blown down).
The tornado quickly strengthened to EF-1 as it continued to cross a residential area and business park where a section of roof was lifted off a warehouse building and tipped over several empty semi-trailers. Several trees were snapped and air conditioning units were blown off the roofs of several buildings. The tornado crossed the I-35/I-45 intersection and entered a large retail shopping center where roof and window damage was observed to several businesses.
Still an EF-1, the tornado crossed Dell Way and entered the Windy Terrace and Greenlawn Place neighborhoods. Widespread tree and roof damage was observed to multiple homes, a few lost their entire roof indicating the tornado had strengthened briefly to EF-2.
The tornado likely weakened a bit before regaining EF-2 strength as it moved northeast and crossed Gattis School Road, where substantial roof damage was shown on some homes near the intersection of Gattis
School Road and Windy Park Drive. The Clay Madsen Recreation Center and the adjacent playing fields sustained damage as well.
It crossed A.W. Grimes Boulevard and entered the South Creek neighborhood, where tree and roof damage was once again observed across many streets until it exited the neighborhood at Brushy Creek. Before crossing Highway 79, the tornado made a slight right turn and started to parallel the south side of Highway 79. Here, it moved through the parking lot of the Kalahari Resort where multiple vehicles were damaged, trees blown down and some windows of the resort were broken from flying debris. The tornado was likely at high-end EF-1 strength when it followed Brushy Creek into the Forest Bluff neighborhood off Red Bud Lane. Trees were blown down along the creek and several homes sustained roof damage where large sections of roof were blown off the house. The tornado crossed Red Bud Lane and damaged a few businesses at the
Red Bud Lane and CR 123 intersection.
Shortly after crossing Highway 79 east of Red Bud Lane, the tornado produced EF-1 damage to an industrial park complex to numerous metal warehouse buildings. The tornado then weakened and continued to the
northeast for nearly five miles producing minor EF-0 damage to residential roofs, trees and signs. Several homes under construction with only visible studs off of FM 1660 collapsed.
As the tornado approached Chandler Road near the intersection with CR 101, the intensity of the tornado increased again with EF-1 damage observed to a large metal building system with sections of the roof peeled away.
Additional EF-1 damage was observed to a stable on a property near the San Gabriel River with substantial tree damage as well. As the tornado neared CR 337, EF-2 damage was observed to a home on piers as the roof, most exterior walls and some interior walls failed and were moved away from the property. EF-1 damage then continued as the tornado affected more homes and metal system buildings as the tornado crossed Highway 95 and CR 345. Significant EF-2 damage occurred to a residential home near the intersection of CR 347 and CR 346.
The tornado then produced EF-1 damage to trees, power poles and a few structures as it crossed CR 348, FM 971, CR 352 and CR 357 before exiting Williamson County and entering Bell County.
Most of the 29-mile long track however was at EF-1 strength. There are reports of a total of 16 injuries, most of which were minor. There have been no reported fatalities with this tornado.
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS Storm Data.
