The first tornado of the 10/23/97 outbreak occurred in Sugar Land Texas. A small supercell thunderstorm with excellent rotational signature moved northeast through Fort Bend County between 1:45 P.M. and 2:08 P.M. A Tornado Warning was issued at 1:52 P.M. based on continuity of this signature. Shortly after the warning was issued we received a call from the Conroe FSS that the Sugar Land Airport tower operator had the tornado in sight. Reports of damage followed shortly thereafter.
On Friday, Bill Read conducted a ground survey the event with Fort Bend County Emergency Management Coordinator Ron Bolyard, Sugar Land Assistant Fire Chief Raul Trevino, and Sugar Land Assistant Fire Chief, Fire Marshall, and emergency coordinator Gerald Cullar. Sugar Land officials had already done a thorough job of documenting the damage and impact of the tornado. They escorted me through the damage area and we were able to quickly assess the track and intensity of the tornado.
There were two eye witnesses to the development and touchdown of the tornado, Sugar Land Control Tower Facility Manager Rob Ellison, and Officer Ronald Peschke, picket guard on duty at the Texas Department of Corrections facility near the airport. Mr. Ellison described what to me was a large wall cloud with associated beaver's tail just prior to tornado formation. Both logged the time of touchdown as 2:00 P.M. just south of the Sugar Land Airport and east of the prison. The tornado crossed Highway 6 moving northeast at about 30 mph. At this point the tornado was less than 50 yards wide. The tornado intensified and grew wider as it crossed an open field east of Highway 6. About 2 miles northeast of the touchdown point it was 1/4 mile in diameter. Mr. Ellison described the funnel as a solid column of uniform diameter. He had an unobstructed view and was able to see trees and roof material picked up by the tornado. The tornado crossed Burney Road into the Ragus Lake and Covington Woods subdivisions then apparently lifted just west of Eldridge Road.
Damage to F1 was evident, with 109 houses damaged, 7 listed as having major damage. Two garages were destroyed, apparently due to door failure followed by roof and wall collapse as the wind came in. Sections of roofs failed on a number of houses and most in the path experienced at least some shingle loss. Windows were either blown in or broken due to debris impact. Several large trees were uprooted and large limbs snapped. Power lines and fences were down. Total damage was estimated in excess of at $1.1 million.
No injuries or deaths were reported from this tornado. A warning and preparedness success story came out of this event. The Sugar Hill Montessori School took a hit from the tornado including several windows blown into the classrooms. The school director had taken a safety class presented by Ron Bolyard which included the "how to" be safe in a tornado. The school had a plan to get all the children and teachers into the interior hallway if a tornado approached. A parent called the school when she heard the warning and the staff immediately executed their tornado plan. No one was hurt.
The City of Sugar Land response to this event was as good as I have ever seen. Emergency crews went door to door immediately after the event and the city had a clear picture of the scope of damage within two hours of the tornado. Emergency aid to citizens was readily available and by Friday morning when I arrived, much of the debris was already being removed and officials were in the neighborhood to control solicitors and sightseers. I appreciated Mr. Bolyard, Mr. Trevino and Mr. Cullar taking time to escort me around the area.
Specifics on the warning and subsequent tornado: Lead time was 8 minutes. The tornado covered a 3 mile long path and was on the ground for about 6 minutes. At it's peak, the tornado was a little over 1/4 mile wide. Damage supports a rating of F1.