Hutto Independent School District is a public school district based in Hutto , Texas , United States. It is one of the fastest growing districts in Texas.
119-547: In addition to Williamson County , it covers parts of Travis County . In 2009, the school district was rated " academically acceptable " by the Texas Education Agency . Gold Performance Acknowledgment Key ++ = Acknowledged NQ = Does Not Qualify Total Count = 9 TAKS results in the accountability subset or due to other highly unusual circumstances. http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/tx/3723#taks Hutto High School received
238-556: A "Recognized" rating for the 2009 TAKS testing Williamson County, Texas Williamson County (sometimes abbreviated as "Wilco") is a county in the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , its population was 609,017. Its county seat is Georgetown . The county is named for Robert McAlpin Williamson ( c. 1804 –1859), a community leader and a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto . Williamson County
357-463: A 122 mph (196 km/h) wind gust. The severity of the 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak was predicated on an unusual spatial and temporal alignment of weather features at highly localized scales. The broader environment was not particularly anomalous for the late springtime over Central and East Texas. Unlike conventional tornado outbreaks in Texas, the 1997 outbreak was not associated with
476-839: A community where citizens can live and work in the same general vicinity. This has transformed the county over recent years into a dynamic, self-sustaining community with less dependency on Austin. Major retail and commercial developments began appearing from 1999 to present, including the Rivery in Georgetown, and the Premium Outlet Mall , the IKEA -area retail, and the La Frontera mixed-use center in Round Rock. Health care and higher education have also become major factors in
595-546: A competitive battleground. Election turnout reflects the county's tremendous growth. In 1960 , only 7,870 votes were cast, compared to 289,555 in 2020. One of the most significant growth factors of modern Williamson County is the location of a new Sun City community in Georgetown. Opened in June 1995, and originally named "Sun City Georgetown", Sun City Texas is a 5,300-acre (21-km ) age-restricted community about 10 mi (16 km) west of IH-35 on Andice Road (RR 2338). It
714-449: A depth of 18 inches (46 cm). Vehicles in the neighborhood were tossed and mangled beyond recognition; at least six were found flattened in open areas and coated with mud and grass. Some were thrown as far as a 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) away, and others were torn into multiple pieces of unrecognizable metal. Trees in the neighborhood were completely denuded and stripped entirely clean of all bark as well, including one that
833-441: A disaster area; Bush visited Jarrell on May 28 and described the tornadic damage as the worst he had ever witnessed. U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison also visited Jarrell and Cedar Park. Bush later requested federal aid for Williamson and Bell counties with support from Hutchinson. The Federal Emergency Management Agency elected not to provide federal aid, citing the contributions from private and state sources. Instead,
952-437: A highly unstable atmosphere. In some cases CAPE was as high as 6,500 J/kg. The lack of fronts moving across Texas in the 36 hours before the tornado outbreak allowed this instability to remain and spread across much of the state. Although these conditions were regionally conducive to the development of thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and strong winds, the potential for supercell and tornado development
1071-644: A large positive effect on the county with the opening of the Texas State University Campus in Round Rock and the Austin Community College campus. The Round Rock campus is the single largest campus in the ACC system, providing two-year degrees and training in the high-tech sector, nursing, and other specialties. The current courthouse, built in 1911, is an example of Neoclassical Revival architecture. The courthouse has had
1190-468: A moderate risk for severe weather and mentioned the possibility of isolated and brief tornadoes. A tornado watch was later issued by the SPC at 12:54 p.m. for parts of eastern Texas and western Louisiana , citing the unstable airmass in place over the region. The Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service forecast offices also issued bulletins on the morning of May 27 noting
1309-530: A nearby pasture were killed and some were found 0.25 miles (0.40 km) away. Hundreds of cattle were also dismembered and a few cows were also skinned by the tornado. The tornado turned slightly towards the south-southwest after traversing Double Creek Estates. The damage in these outlying areas was somewhat scattershot; in one case, a mobile home suffered only minor damage while an adjacent house lost half of its roof. Metal buildings were unroofed along County Road 305 south of Jarrell. The road's guardrail
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#17327934833941428-399: A northeast to southwest fashion resembling a zipper. Thunderstorms formed near Waco in tandem with this juxtaposition of features and within a local maximum of surface heating and convergence of moist air. While some storms had spawned along the cold front, the gravity wave's passage in the early afternoon hours coincided with a rapid intensification of the first thunderstorms. The arrival of
1547-525: A prior maintenance visit prevented its emergency power supply from activating. Thunderstorms developing to the southwest later in the afternoon and evening produced additional tornadoes, including the F3 ;tornado that struck Cedar Park and the F4 ;tornado that struck Lakeway . The Lakeway tornado was the first instance of an F4 tornado striking Travis County on record. The final tornado of
1666-522: A road. The walls of some homes along the periphery of the tornado path remained intact, protecting some of those who survived the tornado. Others chose to evacuate ahead of the approaching tornado. Forty structures were obliterated in Double Creek Estates. Three businesses adjacent to Double Creek Estates were also destroyed. In total, the tornado dealt $ 10–20 million in damage to the neighborhood. Around 300 cattle grazing in
1785-570: A strong trough of low pressure and strong density gradients in the lower troposphere . Instead, the most prominent weather system over the central U.S. at the time was a distant upper-level low centered over Nebraska imparting little influence on atmospheric conditions over Texas. Consequently, winds in the mid-levels of the troposphere over Texas on May 27 were weak and westerly, ranging from 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h) over North Texas to below 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) over Central and South Texas . Winds closer to
1904-473: A tornado warning for Williamson County at 3:30 p.m. in response to the storm's approach; the warning was put into effect for one hour. This was the first tornado warning of the day issued for the office's warning area and warned that "the city of Jarrell is in the path of this storm." Local warning sirens went off about 10–12 minutes before the tornado struck. The precise start of the Jarrell tornado
2023-405: A total of 30 fatalities. Williamson County's fast growth rate is due in large part to its location immediately north of Austin coupled with Austin's rapid expansion northward; Austin's city limits cross into Williamson County. Most of the growth has been residential, but large employers, such as Dell 's international headquarters, have also changed Williamson County from a bedroom community into
2142-492: A tumultuous past, surviving three major renovations and many modifications, including the demolition of its key architectural features in 1966. With the assistance of the Texas Historical Commission and preservation-minded county citizens and officials, the courthouse was returned to its original 1911 state during a major 2006–2007 renovation, once again becoming a focal point of the county. The stars on
2261-452: A well-defined gravity wave that traveled southwest across East Texas on the morning of May 27. Its progression was evidenced on satellite imagery as an advancing band of mid-level cumuli . A weak low-pressure area also developed along the dry line near Dallas and tracked southwest along the boundary. In the two days before May 27, a cold front associated with the upper-level low over Nebraska had swept slowly southeast across
2380-541: A wind gust of 106 kn (122 mph; 196 km/h), marking a record high wind velocity for the site. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) forecasted a moderate risk for severe thunderstorms over parts of East Texas in its severe weather outlook issued at 1:03 a.m. on May 27. The moderate risk region included Waco , the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area , and extended east towards Shreveport, Louisiana , and Fort Polk, Louisiana . Austin
2499-580: Is elected every four years by voters countywide. Four commissioners are elected by single-member precincts every four years. In recent decades, Williamson County has been a strongly Republican county. Before the 2018 elections, every federal and state elected official from the county was a Republican. It is in Texas Senate District 5, and is represented by State Senator Charles Schwertner (R). Williamson County includes three Texas House of Representatives Districts: 20, 52, and 136. District 20
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#17327934833942618-712: Is land and 16 square miles (41 km ), comprising 1.4%, is water. The area is divided into two regions by the Balcones Escarpment, which runs through the center from north to south along a line from Jarrell to Georgetown to Round Rock. The county's western half is an extension of the Western Plains and considered to be within the eastern fringes of Texas Hill Country ; it has an average elevation of 850 ft (260 m). It features undulating, hilly brushland with an abundance of Texas live oak , prickly pear cactus , and karst . The county's eastern half
2737-771: Is part of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan statistical area . It was included with Austin in the Best Cities to Live in for 2009 by the Milken Institute . Located in Central Texas , it is on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, rocky terrain and hills, and Texas Blackland Prairies in the east, rich, fertile farming land. The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35 . Much of Williamson County has been
2856-546: Is part of the Coastal Plains and is flat to gently rolling with an average elevation of 600 ft (180 m). It has dark clay and rich, fertile soils for agriculture, but is quickly being developed as the county's population continues to increase and expand out. Williamson County is drained in the center and south by the San Gabriel River, the county's only river, and in the north by creeks that run into
2975-562: Is part of the chain of Sun City communities started by Del E. Webb Construction Company (now a division of PulteGroup ). Residency is restricted to persons over age 55 (at least one person in a couple has to be 55 or older) and the community is generally oriented toward retirees. As originally planned, the project would double the size of Georgetown's population. Sun City Texas is made up mostly of single-family dwellings, but also has duplexes. The Sun City project includes three golf courses (Legacy Hills, White Wing, and Cowan Creek). Although
3094-520: Is represented by Republican Terry Wilson , 52 by Caroline Harris, and 136 by Democrat John Bucy III . Williamson County was once a solidly Democratic county. In 1976 election , it voted for President Jimmy Carter by a higher percentage (55%) than did voters in Travis County (52%). In 1980 election , however, the county swung dramatically to support Ronald Reagan , giving him 56% of the vote, exceeding Carter's 1976 total. In subsequent years,
3213-403: Is still a major business in some areas of the county, and cotton is still a significant crop eastward toward Hutto and Taylor. Williamson County's largest employer was once Dell Computer in Round Rock, employing roughly 16,000 employees. Retail and health care, including St. David's Hospital, Scott & White, Seton Medical Center Williamson hospital (a level II certified trauma center), and
3332-1172: Is subjective and without set criteria. However, in Williamson County as of 2004, 11 towns had populations over 1,000 people, and seven towns had populations above 5,000. These school districts serve Williamson County: Austin Community College is the designated community college for most portions of the county. Areas in Granger, Hutto, Taylor, and Thrall ISDs are within Temple Junior College District . Areas in Florence ISD are within Central Texas College District . Areas in Lexington ISD are within Blinn Junior College District . The newspapers that serve Williamson County include
3451-404: The 2022 in districts mostly in Williamson County. However, in the same 2020 election election, county voters reelected Republican John Cornyn to the U.S. Senate as well as Republican John Carter to the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican governor Greg Abbott won the county in 2022 by only one point, further showing that county has moved away from being safely Republican and become
3570-484: The Fujita scale ), which remains the only F-5 to strike Williamson County. The F-5 tornado killed 27 people and completely destroyed the Double Creek Estates neighborhood in the city of Jarrell, Texas , located in far northern Williamson County. Another strong tornado, an F-3, struck Cedar Park , killing one person. Two F-2 tornadoes also struck Williamson County. The outbreak cost the county over $ 190 million in damages and
3689-684: The Round Rock Leader , Williamson County Sun (Georgetown), Taylor Press , Hutto News , Hill Country News (Leander), Liberty Hill Independent , and Tribune-Progress (Bartlett). In 2005 Community Impact Newspaper was founded. The Austin American-Statesman also has significant coverage in Williamson County. 30°40′N 97°37′W / 30.66°N 97.61°W / 30.66; -97.61 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak A deadly tornado outbreak occurred in Central Texas during
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3808-555: The San Gabriel River in Georgetown. Such evidence of Archaic-period inhabitants is often in the form of relics and flint tools recovered from burned rock middens. Many such sites were inundated when the San Gabriel River was dammed to create Lake Granger. The earliest known historical Native American occupants, the Tonkawa , were a flint-working, hunting people who followed the buffalo on foot and periodically set fire to
3927-495: The Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture made available loans for the rebuilding of homes, farms, and ranches. The U.S. Congress approved a relief bill allocating $ 5.4 billion for 35 states affected by natural disasters, including Texas. However, the bill also included other provisions that led President Bill Clinton to veto the bill. A drive-through donation line
4046-553: The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).Interstate 35, the county's main artery, runs along the fault line dividing the two distinct regions. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge is in the Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin, including parts of western Williamson County. The refuge was formed in 1992 to conserve habitat for two endangered songbirds, the golden-cheeked warbler and
4165-695: The black-capped vireo , and to preserve Texas Hill Country habitat for other wildlife species. The refuge augments a similarly named preserve in Austin, the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The vegetation found in the Hill Country includes various oaks, elms, and Ashe juniper trees (often called "cedar" in Texas). The golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo depend on different successional stages of this vegetation, and both nest in
4284-507: The boundary layer , representing ample moisture in the lower levels of the troposphere. Radiosondes launched from Corpus Christi and Fort Worth on the morning of May 27 detected the presence of a robust "elevated mixed layer" of air aloft characterized by steep lapse rates —the change of temperature with height—near the dry adiabatic lapse rate . This contributed to high convective available potential energy (CAPE) exceeding 5,500 J/kg across most of Central and East Texas, denoting
4403-564: The flanking line associated with the first storm. This second storm spawned several tornadoes as it expanded towards the southwest, including an F3 tornado near Lake Belton beginning at 2:25 p.m. and the F5 ; Jarrell tornado beginning at 3:25 p.m. The NEXRAD radar in Granger used to monitor this storm suffered a power failure and went out of commission at 3:38 p.m. A control switch left in an improper position on
4522-654: The formation of tornadoes . This peculiar evolution led to the unusual southwestward motion of the storms and the tornadoes they produced. A tornado watch was first issued at 12:54 p.m. on May 27 for portions of East Texas and western Louisiana ; the first tornado touched down at 1:21 p.m. in McLennan County while the final tornado lifted at 8:23 p.m. later that day in Frio County . The 20 tornadoes collectively inflicted at least $ 126.6 million in damage. The F5 Jarrell tornado
4641-464: The severe weather . Although the atmospheric conditions enabling the event were forecast to be conducive for strong winds and large hail, forecasters did not initially anticipate as much of a risk of strong tornadoes due to the lack of substantial wind shear over the region. Instead, the coalescence of several weather features—including a cold front , a dry line , and a gravity wave —provided locally favorable conditions for rotating thunderstorms and
4760-536: The A&;M Health Science Center are among the area's largest employers. Other than Dell, retail is the second-most significant business group in the county. The new IKEA store and Premium Outlet Mall in Round Rock, as well as those in the La Frontera mixed-use project in Round Rock are significant to the county. Wolf Ranch and The Rivery are also major retail centers in Georgetown. In addition, higher education has
4879-599: The Edwards Plateau, the warbler exclusively so. Some protected areas are open to visitors, such as the Berry Springs Park . Williamson County is home to five endangered species. Two are songbirds protected by the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve in Travis and Williamson Counties. The other three are invertebrate species found only in Williamson County, which live in the cavelike fissures on the west side of
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4998-419: The Jarrell tornado left those in its path with little recourse; most homes in Double Creek Estates were built on cement slab foundations and few had a basement or any form of storm shelter; nineteen people sought refuge in a single storm cellar. Some residents who followed prescribed safety measures nonetheless perished. One survivor holed up in a bathtub and was flung several hundred feet from her house onto
5117-694: The Lampasas and Little Rivers north of the county line. Williamson County's eastern portion lies within the low-lying prairie areas east of the Balcones Escarpment (also known as the Balcones Fault, though it is not an active fault ). It begins a piedmont, a foot-friendly fall line of slightly sloping land downward to the coastal area, an area of the Blackland Prairie consisting of rich, fertile, clay-containing soils, where
5236-651: The National Weather Service during the late afternoon and evening. The largest hail—measuring nearly 4 in (100 mm) in diameter—was recorded in Cedar Park in conjunction with the F3 tornado that hit the city. Damaging hail was also reported in Georgetown beginning at 3:55 p.m. Severe thunderstorms also generated damaging straight-line winds across the Hill Country and South-Central Texas. Much of these winds were associated with
5355-803: The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research carried out aerial and ground surveys of the tornadic damage in Texas in coordination with the Texas Wing Civil Air Patrol. The Jarrell tornado damage was classified as F5 severity throughout most of the tornado's path. However, a critique of the Fujita scale published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggested that winds between 158–206 mph (254–332 km/h), corresponding to an F3 rating on
5474-740: The Pedernales Valley was disrupted. The thunderstorms also produced heavy rain that triggered floods in Blanco , Gonzales , Karnes , and Travis counties. An official rainfall total of 1.44 in (37 mm) was documented in Austin, though 2.5 in (64 mm) of rain fell in nearby Round Rock . The rains caused Brushy Creek to flood beyond its banks as far east as Thorndale . One person drowned in floodwaters along Shoal Creek in Austin. Another person died in Cedar Park of cardiac arrest likely induced by storm-related stress. The Southwestern Insurance Information Service estimated that
5593-552: The Smith family. Bodily remains were later found at 30 locations, and the physical trauma inflicted to some of the tornado victims was so extreme, that first responders reportedly had difficulty distinguishing human remains from the remains of animals at the site. Most of the deaths were attributed in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report to multiple trauma, though one death was attributed to asphyxia. The high intensity of
5712-403: The advancing intersection of the cold front and dry line and the gravity wave as they continued southwest, though each individual storm was nearly stationary. Due to the westerly winds in the mid-levels of the troposphere, the outflow from each developing storm was directed east, allowing each new thunderstorm to develop and rotate without interference from the initial storms. The direction of
5831-524: The afternoon and evening of May 27, 1997, in conjunction with a southwestward-moving cluster of supercell thunderstorms. These storms produced 20 tornadoes, mainly along the Interstate 35 corridor from northeast of Waco to north of San Antonio . The strongest tornado was an F5 tornado that leveled parts of Jarrell , killing 27 people and injuring 12 others. Overall, 30 people were killed and 33 others were hospitalized by
5950-498: The afternoon and evening of May 27, with 80 percent of their issued products occurring after 5 p.m. in connection with the widespread storms that developed later in the day separate from the initial tornadic storms. In one case, a media outlet's decision to manually activate the Emergency Alert System rather than allow weather warnings to automatically trigger it resulted in a 25–30 minute delay in
6069-437: The afternoon of May 27. The tornado destroyed approximately 10 percent of the homes in Jarrell; at the time, the city had a population of about 450 people and had been previously struck by tornadoes in 1987 and 1989. Hardest-hit was the Double Creek Estates subdivision west of downtown Jarrell. The 1997 Jarrell tornado was the first and only known occurrence of an F5 tornado in Williamson County. It
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#17327934833946188-614: The atmosphere—a common measure quantifying the amount of wind shear—was measured as 70 m /s at Corpus Christi and reached 117 m /s according to data from the Rapid Update Cycle computer model; values below 300 m /s are correlated with weak tornadoes. A study published in Monthly Weather Review in 2007 described the environment as being "marginally favorable for supercells and unfavorable for significant, supercellular tornadoes." Instead,
6307-434: The building and maintenance of county roads and bridges. Commissioners' courts are governing bodies of county government in several US states, including Texas. The principal functions of the commissioners' court are legislative and executive. Although called courts, commissioners' courts generally exercise only limited judicial powers. The commissioners' court consists of five members. The county judge presides as chairman, and
6426-557: The central U.S. Prior to dawn on May 27, the front progressed across West Texas ; by 7:00 a.m. on May 27, the front spanned from southeastern Oklahoma through the northwestern portion of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex southwestwards to near the Big Bend of Texas . This placed the cold front parallel and just to the west of the dry line along a northeast to southwest orientation. A swath of clear skies emerged between
6545-482: The community attracts residents from all over, most come from within Texas to stay close to their original homes. Vocal opposition to the project has occurred, especially at the start during the zoning process, with arguments against the size of the community, its effect on Georgetown as a family-oriented town, concerns about the costs of providing city utilities, concern about lowered city and Williamson County property taxes, which are fixed for retirees under Texas law, and
6664-474: The county at 12:50 p.m. Weather radars showed increasing rotation within the storm, prompting the issuance of a tornado warning at 1:21 p.m. This storm produced the outbreak's first tornado 5 mi (8.0 km) southwest of Hewitt near Lorena . The same storm produced a second brief tornado near Bruceville followed by a third, intense F3 tornado in southwestern McLennan County that lasted for 20 minutes. A new thunderstorm developed along
6783-439: The county became increasingly Republican, following a pattern similar to those of other suburban Texas counties. In 2004 election , President George W. Bush won 68% of the vote in Williamson County. John McCain received 55% of the vote to Barack Obama 's 42% in the 2008 election . In 2012 election , Republican Mitt Romney defeated Obama, 59% to 38%. In 2016 election , Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton , 51%-41%. However,
6902-412: The county by identifying and preserving sufficiently many caves with endangered species to ensure survival of the species. These species would be preserved through voluntary donations of land rather than required setbacks, grants, and other involuntary means typically enforced on landowners without an incidental take permit. The group transferred its successful work on an environmental impact statement to
7021-586: The county in 2002 and a county-wide 10-A permit was obtained in October 2008. Property owners are able to participate in the county's 10-A permit by applying through the WCCF. As of the census of 2010, there were 422,679 people, 152,606 households, and 111,514 families resided in the county. The population density was 373 people per square mile (144 people/km ). The 162,773 housing units averaged 144 units per square mile (56 units/km ). The racial makeup of
7140-622: The county narrowly swung Democratic in 2020 , with Joe Biden winning a plurality over Trump, 49% to 48%. The county narrowly swung back into the Trump column for the 2024 election, thereby voting for the presidential election winner in 2016, 2020, and 2024. In recent years, Williamson County has again leaned toward the Democratic Party, with Beto O'Rourke edging out Ted Cruz in the 2018 , and James Talarico and John Bucy III both defeating Republican incumbents to win election to
7259-439: The county was $ 24,547. About 3.40% of families and 4.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.40% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over. The Commissioners Court is the overall governing and management body of Williamson County, and is responsible for all budgetary decisions in addition to setting the tax rate each year. Among its duties is the administration of all county business, including
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#17327934833947378-543: The county was 80.9% White, 7.1% African American, 1.3% Native American, 5.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 6.9% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. About 23.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 111,514 households, 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were not families. Around 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who
7497-555: The county's growth. Two new colleges and two new hospitals have opened since 2015. Another significant factor has been the opening of the North Loop 1 and Texas State Highway 45 toll roads, which have made Williamson County more accessible to Austin. According to the United States Census Bureau , the county has an area of 1,134 sq mi (2,940 km ), of which 1,118 square miles (2,900 km )
7616-524: The county. Karst topography is the name for the honeycomb-type limestone formations (including caves, sinkholes, and fissures) typical of the county's limestone geology west of Interstate 35. In the 1990s, a group of concerned landowners, individuals, and real-estate developers formed the Northern Edwards Aquifer Resource Council with the goal of obtaining a USFWS 10-A permit (known as an incidental take permit ) for
7735-476: The day touched down in Frio County and lifted at 7:23 p.m. Farther south away from the southwestward-moving storm cluster, the cold front and dry line curved west, making them parallel to the advancing gravity wave; this triggered the development of numerous and intense storms between Austin and the Big Bend after 3:00 p.m. when the gravity wave intersected the front. The parallel orientations of
7854-417: The disproportionate effect of city voting. By and large, though, the community has been welcomed and accepted by the Georgetown populace. In the 2008 city elections, for example, two residents of Sun City were the only candidates for mayor of Georgetown. They also were both formerly elected city council members. Williamson County was an agrarian community for most of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Cotton
7973-592: The dissemination of a warning. Interviews conducted by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration service assessment team found that many watched the approach of tornadoes prior to taking shelter due to their slow movement and high visibility. In the case of the F5 Jarrell tornado, some fled while others took shelter. Due to the strength of the tornado, some who stayed behind were killed despite taking appropriate safety measures. Parts of Jarrell, Texas, were struck by an extremely powerful F5 tornado on
8092-526: The earlier F2 tornadoes—mostly to trees and roads—as part of the overall Jarrell tornado path. Some reports also include the F1 ;tornado near Prairie Dell as an earlier continuation of the Jarrell tornado. The final, unambiguous apparition of the Jarrell tornado began within the Williamson County line 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Jarrell as a narrow and rope-shaped funnel swathed in large amounts of dust when it touched down at 3:40 p.m. Like
8211-411: The evacuees were killed while the mobile home sustained only minor damage. Some of the most extreme damage at this location was inflicted to a small metal-framed recycling plant that was obliterated, with little left of the structure besides a few twisted structural beams. The tornado then slowly entered the Double Creek Estates subdivision where it exacted its most catastrophic impacts. Concurrently,
8330-407: The eventual, non-tornadic line of storms that resulted from the coalescence of the day's earlier storms. Wind gusts ranging between 58–71 mph (93–114 km/h) were recorded in Austin, with the peak 71 mph (114 km/h) wind gust occurring at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport at 4:20 p.m. There were also unofficial reports of winds reaching as high as 90 mph (140 km/h) to
8449-591: The expenses. The Jarrell Volunteer Fire Department organized a temporary morgue; the deceased were later brought to the Travis County Forensic Center for identification. Although a death toll of 30 people was initially reported, that figure was later revised to 27; the inflated count was attributed to the dispersion of remains that led some fatalities to be tallied twice. Carcasses of livestock were buried at Double Creek Estates. Texas Governor George W. Bush declared Williamson County
8568-507: The factors that enabled the eventual tornado outbreak may have transpired at a mesoscale involving several features becoming juxtaposed over Texas. The dry line delineating the boundary between the moist maritime air mass over East Texas and the drier continental air mass farther west remained nearly stationary in the region through the morning of May 27. On the preceding evening, a mesoscale convective system developing along this dry line over eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas generated
8687-509: The flag surrounding the state of Texas represent the 33 viable communities identified by Clara Stearns Scarbrough in her 1973 book, Land of Good Water . In 1970, these communities ranged in population from 20 people in Norman's Crossing to more than 10,000 residents in Taylor. Establishing how many communities exist in Williamson County today is difficult, because the determination of "community"
8806-412: The formation of tornadoes. Some of the day's tornadoes were spun up by the gust front itself while others spawned from thunderstorms with preexisting mesocyclones aloft enhanced by the gust front underneath. The day's first thunderstorm near Waco in McLennan County strengthened quickly in response to the highly unstable atmosphere. A severe thunderstorm warning —the first of the day—was issued for
8925-480: The gravity wave and its perpendicular alignment relative to the orientation of the cold front and dry line may have enhanced wind shear locally despite weak wind shear at a broader, synoptic scale. This allowed the thunderstorms to rotate and become supercells. However, the degree to which the wave contributed to the formation of supercells and eventually tornadoes remains a subject of disagreement among meteorologists. The development of new discrete supercells followed
9044-505: The highway; it ultimately moved parallel to Interstate 35. Tracking south-southwest, the tornado quickly intensified and grew to a 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) in width, changing from its initial thin and white appearance to a blue and black color. F5 tornado damage was identified early in the tornado's path. Its intense winds scoured the ground and stripped pavement from roads. The tornado tore 525 feet (160 m) of asphalt as it crossed County Roads 308, 305, and 307;
9163-450: The initial southwestward-moving complex of storms, composed of at least 16 distinct supercells; six of the cells formed along the cold front, five formed along the dry line, and five formed along the gust front imparted by previous storms. The gust fronts pushed outwards by the downdrafts of the thunderstorms served as foci for tornadogenesis ; boundaries like gust fronts can provide low-level vorticity and rising air necessary for
9282-489: The land is still used for agriculture, growing cotton and other crops and raising cattle. These prairie lands essentially run from Williamson County to the Gulf Coast, and have a rich heritage of being farmed by German, Polish, and other settlers. West of the escarpment is the beginning of the "upland" Texas Hill Country, characterized by rocky terrain with thin layers of soil on top of limestone . Some ranching occurs in
9401-513: The potential for severe weather. However, these early outlooks focused more on the threat of wind and hail rather than tornadoes due to the low wind shear present over the region. The Dallas/Fort Worth National Weather Service forecast office ultimately issued 10 tornado warnings and 5 severe thunderstorm warnings between 1 and 5 p.m. on May 27. The Austin/San Antonio office issued 8 tornado warnings, 24 severe thunderstorm warnings, and 10 flash flood warnings during
9520-517: The prairie to aid them in their hunts. During the 18th century, they made the transition to a horse culture and used firearms to a limited extent. After they were crowded out by white settlement, the Comanches continued to raid settlements in the county until the 1860s. Also, small numbers of Kiowa , Yojuane, Tawakoni , and Mayeye Indians apparently were living in the county at the time of the earliest Anglo settlements. On September 9 and 10, 1921,
9639-422: The primary center for cotton production, cotton ginning , and compressing cotton into bales to transport by rail. Other agriculture activities, farming, and dairying were also a part of rural Williamson County east of the Balcones Fault, and ranching occurred to the west in the Hill Country area. Both gradually gave way to more modern business, services, and retail as the area became more urban, but cattle ranching
9758-403: The remaining debris was stopped at 3:48 p.m., presumably marking the time the tornado entered the community. Much of the neighborhood was completely swept away with little debris remaining, with what was left being reduced to small and unrecognizable fragments that were dispersed over a wide area. The lack of large items that were recovered, and the granularity of the debris was indicative of
9877-501: The remnants of a hurricane moved over Williamson County. The center of the storm became stationary over Thrall , a small farming town in eastern Williamson County, dropping a storm total of 39.7 in (1,010 mm) of rain in 36 hours. The 24-hour rainfall total ending 7 am on September 10, 1921 (38.2 in (970 mm)) at a U.S. Weather Bureau station in Thrall remains the national official 24-hour rainfall record. Thrall's rainfall
9996-466: The scale, were sufficient to explain the damage wrought by the Jarrell tornado. The critique noted that some of the homes at Double Creek Estates, although built within the preceding 15 years, exhibited structural weaknesses in their design such as the lack of anchor bolts and steel straps in their foundations. Approximately $ 40 million in damage was inflicted upon property with another $ 100,000 inflicted upon crops. Twelve people were injured by
10115-474: The search. The Scott & White Blood Center facilitated blood donations . A temporary shelter was established by the American Red Cross at Jarrell High School for those displaced by the tornado, providing food and accepting clothes donations. The agency's relief operations, covering residents of 211 homes, cost an estimated $ 250,000; community donations covered at least $ 200,000 of
10234-423: The sheer strength of the tornado. Due to the tornado's slow movement, homes near the center of its path experienced tornadic winds for approximately three minutes. The mostly wooden-framed residences, some well-built and anchored, were completely obliterated and swept away, leaving behind concrete slab foundations swept clean of all debris. In some cases, parts of outbuilding and house foundations themselves in
10353-494: The site of human habitation for at least 11,200 years. The earliest known inhabitants of the area lived during the late Pleistocene (Ice Age), and are linked to the Clovis culture around 9,200 BC based on evidence found at Bell County's much-studied Gault Site. One of the most important discoveries in recent times is the ancient skeletal remains dubbed the "Leanderthal Lady" because of its age and proximity to Leander, Texas . It
10472-436: The storm in addition to the twenty-seven killed. Due to the unusual southwestward motion of the thunderstorm that caused the tornado, the sequence of weather events experienced by those affected was in the opposite order of typical tornadic events: the tornado arrived first, followed by the hail, wind, and rain of the parent thunderstorm. Despite the violence of the tornado and the presence of its associated mesocyclone aloft,
10591-437: The storms' expansion towards the southwest deviated over 100 degrees away from these westerly winds, representing an extreme and highly unusual motion. The southwestward generation of storms brought them towards increasingly unstable air with higher CAPE, allowing the storms to acquire strong inflow and the requisite rotation to produce tornadoes. There were at least three families of thunderstorms that developed as part of
10710-404: The subdivision were scoured away, and several were found missing all of their sill plates that connected the wood-frame homes to the foundations. Pieces of debris were found deposited in fields miles away from the subdivision, and extreme ground scouring occurred, reducing grassy fields into wide expanses of mud in the most severely affected areas. In some cases the ground was scoured out to
10829-516: The surface were also quiescent; the average storm-relative winds within the lowest 6 km (3.7 mi) of the atmosphere as measured in Del Rio, Texas , prior to the onset of storm development was only 6 kn (6.9 mph; 11 km/h). Further aloft at the level of the jet stream , there were two nearby wind speed maxima over northern Mexico and the central Mississippi Valley ; this led to strong divergence of air over Texas. Wind shear
10948-402: The thickness of the asphalt pavement was roughly 0.8 inches (20 mm). A culvert plant at the corner of Country Roads 305 and 307 collapsed. Nearby, a similar plant and a mobile home sustained some damage, with the latter struck by a 2×4 piece of lumber. The occupants of a mobile home 500 feet (150 m) north-northwest of the culvert plant fled to a frame house that the tornado later struck;
11067-473: The thunderstorm did not exhibit a distinct hook echo on weather radar typically associated with such tornadoes. This may have also been caused by the unusual southwestward motion of the thunderstorm, resulting in the tornado's placement in an atypical position relative to the thunderstorm's motion. In addition to the tornadoes, there were 12 reports of large hail in Central Texas received by
11186-402: The thunderstorm, with the speed of rotation rising above 40 kn (46 mph; 74 km/h). As the storm moved into Williamson County , it produced two short-lived F2 tornadoes north of Jarrell at 3:25 p.m. and 3:35 p.m.; the latter of the two was a multiple-vortex tornado and lifted at 3:39 p.m. The Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service forecast office issued
11305-495: The tornado ended abruptly, with the National Centers for Environmental Information indicating that it lifted at 3:53 p.m. after remaining on the ground for 13 minutes and 5.1 miles (8.2 km). Other government accounts of the tornado list a total path length of 7.6 miles (12.2 km) after incorporating the preceding tornadoes north of Jarrell and near Prairie Dell. Between May 29 and June 1,
11424-414: The tornado expanded further to its maximum width of 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km). Eyewitnesses indicated that the tornado's movement slowed to around 5–10 mph (8.0–16.1 km/h) as it entered the neighborhood; this may have contributed to the resulting extreme destruction. The tornado destroyed the first home it encountered at the northwestern corner of the subdivision; a clock recovered from
11543-553: The tornado were profiled in television documentaries such as the 1999 episode of HBO 's America Undercover series titled "Fatal Twisters: A Season of Fury", the 1999 BBC television series titled Twister Week (also known as Tornado Diary in the United States) in an episode titled "Tornado Alley", the seventh episode of the Discovery Channel program Storm Warning , produced by GRB Entertainment , and
11662-547: The tornado's intensity, the debris was often small in size and beyond recognition. There were four other tornadoes rated F3 or higher. One F3 tornado moved across Cedar Park , damaging parts of the business district and numerous homes in nearby neighborhoods. An F4 tornado struck areas near Lake Travis and caused one fatality. In addition to the tornadoes, the storms also produced large hail and strong straight-line winds; Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio recorded
11781-499: The totality of the storms' effects inflicted $ 25–40 million in insured losses; most insured claims originated from Cedar Park. Law enforcement officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety , four municipal police departments, and two county sheriff's offices aided search-and-rescue efforts in the aftermath of the Jarrell tornado. The Texas National Guard and other volunteers from around Central Texas joined in
11900-418: The two F3 tornadoes earlier in the day, it developed along the gust front produced by its parent thunderstorm. This mechanism is typical of tornadogenesis not associated with supercell thunderstorms. Traffic along Interstate 35 came to a stop as the tornado descended nearby. The Texas Highway Patrol also stopped traffic on both sides of the interstate under the expectation that the tornado would cross
12019-424: The two boundaries, maximizing surface heating during the daytime and contributing to the weak low-pressure area's southwestward movement through Central Texas. At around 12:30 p.m., the gravity wave, cold front, dry line, and low-pressure area overlapped near Waco, Texas , with the faster cold front overtaking and merging with the nearly stationary dry line. The cold front and dry line were brought together in
12138-545: The uplands, but mostly it has been the target of residential development because of the rolling terrain, vistas, hardwood trees, abundant wildlife, and rivers and streams (the same reason early Indians camped in the area). The Hill Country areas are characterized by their porous "vugular" (honeycombed) rock, where rainwater percolates down to replenish the Edwards Aquifer . For that reason, development restrictions are in place and several endangered species are protected by
12257-580: The wave and the other boundaries precluded these storms' rotation. They tracked east and eventually merged with the southwestward-propagating complex of tornadic storms along the Pedernales River . This coalescence produced a south- and southeastward-moving squall line and ended the strong tornado activity. Nonetheless, strong and damaging winds were produced by the squall line for several hours. Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio documented
12376-463: The west of Austin near Lake Travis. Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio registered a gust of 122 mph (196 km/h) at 8:03 p.m. Gusts reached 61 mph (98 km/h) in Del Rio and overturned a plane at an airport near Seguin . The storms knocked out power to 60,000 electricity customers in Austin and as many as 21,000 electricity customers serviced by Texas Utilities . Telephone service for more than 3,000 residents in
12495-516: Was 23.4 in (590 mm) during 6 hours, 31.8 in (810 mm) during 12 hours, and 36.4 in (920 mm) during 18 hours. Eighty-seven people drowned in and near Taylor, and 93 in Williamson County. This storm caused the most deadly floods in Texas, with a total of 215 fatalities. On May 27, 1997, Williamson County was hit by the worst tornado outbreak in county history. The 1997 Central Texas tornado outbreak caused 20 tornadoes including an F-5 (the strongest rating used for tornadoes on
12614-468: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.20. In the county, the age distribution was 28.7% under 18, 11.9% from 15 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 60,642, and for a family was $ 66,208. Males had a median income of $ 43,471 versus $ 30,558 for females. The per capita income for
12733-485: Was also the deadliest tornado in Texas since the 1987 Saragosa tornado . The thunderstorm that spawned the Jarrell tornado began west of Temple along the flanking line of another thunderstorm earlier in the afternoon of May 27. The storm produced several tornadoes in Bell County , including the F3 tornado that impacted communities along Lake Belton. Weather radar observed a strengthening mesocyclone within
12852-464: Was difficult to pinpoint. The most prominent and destructive part of the tornado's evolution was preceded by the apparition of short-lived, small, and rope-like funnel clouds. These may have been separate tornadoes or simply an earlier part of the Jarrell tornado's evolution. An aerial survey conducted by the Birmingham, Alabama , office of the National Weather Service included the damage caused by
12971-502: Was discovered by accident by the Texas Department of Transportation workers while drilling core samples for a new highway. The site has been extensively studied for many years, and samples from this site carbon date to the Pleistocene period around 10,500 years ago. Prehistoric and Archaic "open occupation" campsites are also found throughout the county along streams and other water sources, including Brushy Creek in Round Rock and
13090-431: Was erected in downtown Jarrell bearing the names of the 27 people killed by the Jarrell tornado. The Jarrell Memorial Park was established near Double Creek Estates on the land of the former Igo family, who perished in the tornado. The park contains 27 trees planted in honor of the victims. In 2019, the memorial was relocated to the park along with the city's historical marker . The events and survivor accounts of
13209-464: Was established at Auditorium Shores in Austin. Local musicians organized and performed at a benefit concert at Austin Music Hall , attracting an audience of 2,800 and raising about $ 94,000. Businesses also donated to the relief efforts. First responders representing Cedar Park, Austin, Leander , Round Rock , and Williamson and Travis counties arrived in Cedar Park shortly after the city
13328-551: Was found with an electrical cord impaled through the trunk. All 27 fatalities associated with the Jarrell tornado occurred at Double Creek Estates, which at the time consisted of 131 residents living in 38 single-family homes and several mobile homes. Entire families were killed at Double Creek, including all five members of the Igo Family, all four members of the Moehring family, and all three members of
13447-670: Was hit by a tornado. Texas A&M University supplied equipment for search-and-rescue operations in the aftermath of the Cedar Park tornado. These operations were the first test of the 186-member Texas Urban Search and Rescue Team, which was created following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing . Vouchers were distributed by the American Red Cross to storm victims in the Buttercup Creek subdivision for clothing, food, and other supplies. Texas State Troopers blocked areas of Buttercup Creek to prevent looting. A memorial
13566-408: Was impaled by wooden planks thrown by the strong winds. The tornado then again crossed County Road 305 and entered a forest of cedar trees. Some of the damage to the trees suggested that the tornado may have been a multiple-vortex tornado, which was documented by Scott Beckwith, receiving a nickname as a “dead man walking”. Shortly after entering this forested area, the path of damage left behind by
13685-460: Was located at the boundary between the moderate risk region and the slight risk region that encompassed most of East and South Texas, including the Hill Country . The SPC predicted that the gravity wave would be a focal point for storms capable of producing large hail and damaging winds given the unstable atmosphere. A subsequent outlook issued by the SPC at 10:16 a.m. continued to indicate
13804-492: Was negligible within the lowest 6 km (3.7 mi) of the atmosphere contrary to typical tornado outbreaks. Despite generally meager winds, the atmosphere was nonetheless thermally energetic. The combination of several days of onshore wind flow from the Gulf of Mexico and the persistence of a capping inversion aloft led to an accumulation of moist air over the state. Dew points soon exceeded 70 °F (21 °C) within
13923-499: Was not initially clear given the lack of wind shear. Other metrics and indices used to diagnose tornado potential, such as the Energy Helicity Index , storm-relative helicity , supercell composite parameter, and the significant tornado parameter, were also lower than historically observed environments featuring tornadoes. For instance, the amount of storm-relative helicity within the lowest 3 km (1.9 mi) of
14042-648: Was the dominant crop in the area between the 1880s and the 1920s, and Williamson County was the top producer of cotton in Texas. Primarily to transport bales of cotton, the county was served by two national railroads, the International-Great Northern Railroad , which eventually merged into the Missouri Pacific, and the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad . The town of Taylor in eastern Williamson County became
14161-421: Was the outbreak's most powerful and deadliest tornado. It destroyed most of the 38-home Double Creek Estates subdivision west of Jarrell where the most extreme damage occurred. Residences were completely dismantled, swept away, and reduced to concrete slabs, while trees in the area were completely shredded and debarked. Fields were scoured to a depth of 18 in (460 mm) and asphalt was torn from roads. Due to
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