Posted: Mon, 3 Apr 2017 07:40 AM - 41,368 Readers

By: Courtney Schoenemann

Homeowners in western Travis County continue to clean up damage caused by Sunday morning's heavy storms.

One family who lives along Big Bee Creek tells CBS Austin the damage will cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Imagine waking up Sunday morning to winds so strong, a 200-year-old elm tree snaps like a toothpick. That's exactly what Randy Nuttall said happened on his property.

"I raised my head up off the pillow and saw that tree up there just literally making circles, and I was like man this isn't good," Nuttall said.

Nuttall and his family spent the rest of Sunday and all day Monday picking up tree limbs that were twisted off by high wind gusts.

"All of these trees are just demolished really," Nuttall said.

Beyond downed trees, roofs were damaged and boat docks snapped off their anchors and floated away.

"This thing was just drifting out another 60 or 70 feet out, I had to use that rope to pull it back to shore," Nuttall said.

He admits though, things could be worse. Neighbors along the same canal near lake Travis had garage doors ripped off, boat docks flipped upside down or even floating 200 feet from shore.

Family member Kenny Lee said it's hard to believe straight line winds did all of this damage.

"I have been in two tornadoes before in Tennessee and I was like that might be a tornado because everything was just gusting and breaking and everything was everywhere," Lee said.

The family estimates repairs will cost them thousands of dollars, but say they're most disappointed to lose the old trees and the shade they provide from the summer sun.

"Yes, that was our shade and now it's gone," Lee said.

Nuttall has lived along Lake Travis for 20 years and remembers the devastating Jarrell tornado of 1997.

He said he's just thankful no one was injured in this storm.

*  Story Contributed by: Courtney Schoenemann