PHOTOS: Hutto building sustains wind damage during Friday morning storms
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Strong storms developed Friday morning, bringing wind and hail to parts of Central Texas.
The First Warning Weather team said more strong to severe storms are on the way, expected to pop up by early Friday afternoon.
KXAN First Warning Weather forecast
A building in Hutto off Highway 79 had its roof completely blown off because of the wind.
Tony Thompson is the service manager at Central Power Systems and Services, where they work on heavy machinery and equipment. He said it started hailing when he pulled up to the building’s gate Friday morning.
“As soon as I open the gate, I started to drive through the gate, my truck went sideways by itself,” Thompson said.
“So I continue to pull underneath a carport, and the next minute I know, everything was gone. And everything was in disarray,” he continued.
Thompson said he heard a lot of noise and crashing outside of his vehicle, and he was left trying to figure out what was happening in the dark.
“When it hit, it just literally grabbed everything, and I watched that beam come down on top of the truck, and it just took it within seconds. It was very fast,” Thompson said. He was in the truck when that happened.
“That was not fun,” Thompson said.
The Central Power Systems and Services building in Hutto, Texas, sustains wind damage on March 15, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) The Central Power Systems and Services building in Hutto, Texas, sustains wind damage on March 15, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) The Central Power Systems and Services building in Hutto, Texas, sustains wind damage on March 15, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) The Central Power Systems and Services building in Hutto, Texas, sustains wind damage on March 15, 2024. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Quarter-sized hail in Mason County on March 15, 2024. (Courtesy: Elisha Vierus)
When the storms calmed down, Thompson said he and his coworker went to a nearby RV park to make sure everyone was OK there.
Jake Isbell, director of emergency management for the City of Hutto, said the National Weather Service said the damage was from straight line winds.
Isbell said storms like this are fairly common in the spring season. He encourages locals to always have a disaster bag with water, food and clothing ready in the event of an emergency.
Isbell said his office and other emergency agencies will continue monitoring weather conditions for potential storms.
“[Storms are] definitely something we’ve been monitoring, especially this weekend. And it’s gonna be like that for this entire season,” Isbell said.
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