Gov. Greg Abbott and leaders in Williamson County expressed gratitude on Monday (March 21) that no fatalities were reported in the wake of severe weather that rumbled through Central Texas, according to Austin ABC affiliate KVUE. The station reported that Abbott met with Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell and other county officials to provide an update on the storms.
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that the region experienced sporadic tornadoes, with most of them touching down north of the state capital. According to the station, National Weather Service (NWS) crews were supposed to assess the damage Tuesday (March 22).
"I wanted the judge to know that the state is standing with the people of Williamson County shoulder to shoulder," Abbott said, KVUE reported. "We know that you faced a devastating storm. We know that there's people whose lives have been completely interrupted, but it may be a miracle, also, because even though there's been some devastating physical damage, to my knowledge, there is no report of loss of life, which is just stunning."
Gravell personally thanked Abbott, according to KVUE.
"He was one of the first ones to call and he said it's going to be alright,” the county judge, a Republican, said, the station reported.
Abbott thanked the media for alerting residents to the situation, as well as made state resources available for recovery efforts, KVUE reported.
The governor has a disaster declaration in place for Williamson County.
According to KVUE, the county will intentionally cut electricity off because of downed power lines.
"It's important that we turn off power and, for some of our residents, that might be discomforting because of electricity being turned off tonight at your home," Gravell said, the station reported. "I would just simply say this: If you have a home that you're in and your electricity is off, be grateful because not all of our residents have that."
Officials in Bastrop County reported one minor injury related to the severe weather, according to KXAN.
The station reported that about 75% of residents of the City of Elgin lost power.
Bluebonnet Electric told KXAN that 32 of its poles sustained damage, with half having already been fixed.
The company said power should be fully restored by this afternoon.