Williamson County releases preliminary damage report following tornado outbreak

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Following a damage assessment by county officials, more than 400 structures outside Round Rock and in the unincorporated areas of Williamson County were damaged by tornadoes March 21.

The preliminary tally of damaged homes in those areas sits at 430, and county officials urged people with tornado-damaged property to report it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

On March 30, officials with the City of Round Rock said tornadoes caused at least $32 million in damage to 680 homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also surveyed the area for potential federal disaster declarations, but that could take weeks for FEMA to determine, county officials said.

With the help of the American Red Cross and Austin Disaster Relief Network, Williamson County opened a multi-agency resource center three days during the week, and around 110 families took advantage of the help it provided for things like food, clothing, document recovery and debris removal. It's closed now, but families who still have issues can call ADRN at 512-806-0800 or the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767, then pick Option No. 4.

The Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to homeowners and business owners to recover from declared disasters. More information on that can be found on the SBA's website.

There's also a temporary appraised value exemption in areas declared disasters by Gov. Greg Abbott. Qualified property that has at least 15% damage caused by the disaster can apply to have part of its appraised value waived, providing property tax relief. Property owners must apply for the exemption in 105 days since the declaration was made.