After the tornado outbreak around the Houston area on October 23, 1997, Gene Hafele scheduled a flight with the Department of Public Safety to survey damage. DPS Pilots Ray Roussett, Jr. and Jack Reichert, and National Weather Service Meteorologist Gregg Waller started the survey from Houston Gulf Airport. Flying to Sugarland, we tried to find damage around the beginning of the mesocyclone track, as indicated by radar, at 29 deg 32 min N, 95 deg 48 min W. Flying generally northeast along the path, the first indications of damage were within 1/4 mile, on the east side, of Sugarland Airport. Several trees were blown down east of the airport and following this path, tracked into the subdivision. The best estimate from the air suggest that the damage path ended along, but south and west of the Fort Bend/Harris county line. From the air, damage estimate of F0 and F1 scale tornado.
After crossing downtown Houston and tracking toward Lake Houston, another damage path began at the eastern edge of Lake Houston north of the dam. The damage path proceeded to the northeast and continued toward the Liberty/Harris county line. Numerous trees were uprooted and/or snapped off and several mobile homes were damaged in and near Crosby. Significant structures were spared damage. Only light weight structures were damaged. The more significant damage reports: a tin roof blown off of boat storage facility, a travel trailer blown over, and mobile home turned over. From the air, damage estimate of F0 scale tornado.
Proceeded to the Segno area in Polk County and found isolated trees down and a deer stand down south of FM 943 and west of FM 2798. However, a single significant track could not be found from the air. East of Highway 59 in San Jacinto County, a line of trees had been broken indicating a second path of damage. Following the track of isolated trees down to the southwest, the path crossed into Montgomery County and caused significant damage to mobile homes in and near Midway. Several homes were twisted and damaged directly from the wind, with one home receiving significance damage from a tree falling through the structure. The path ended/began east of Interstate Highway 45, south of Highway 105, and north of FM 1488. The path of damage was quite long, but path length could not be estimated. From the air, most of the damage estimated at F0 to F1, with isolated spots of a F2 scale tornado.