Storm reports for October 23, 1997

IndependentNot affiliated with NOAA or the National Weather Service. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Data through November 6, 2026. Methodology

← Oct 22, 1997 All 1997 storm days · October 1997 Oct 24, 1997 →

Other storms on October 23 →

On October 23, 1997, 29 hail, 27 damaging-wind and 23 tornado reports were logged across 4 states. The largest hail reported was 2.50″ (tennis ball size) in Kerr County, TX.

Storm day runs 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Eastern (12:00–12:00 UTC), the convention the Storm Prediction Center uses. Radar hail estimates start October 2019.

Storm reports by state

Cities with hail reported within 5 miles

Hail reports (29)

Damage, injuries and deaths

National Weather Service offices recorded about $3.2 million in property damage, $5,000 in crop damage and 8 injuries from hail, thunderstorm wind and tornadoes across the US on this storm day (84 events in 4 states). Injuries and deaths are those the events caused directly.

What the National Weather Service wrote

• Montgomery County, TX (near Waukegan) · Tornado F2 · $175,000 · 1 injury
  “This tornado was probably the most significant in strength and length that occurred this day. Several homes and mobile homes received major damage. There was one injury when a young boy was in a mobile home when the tornado picked it up and wrapped it around a tree.”
• Nacogdoches County, TX (near Swift) · Thunderstorm wind 69 mph · 1 injury
  “Numerous trees were toppled along CR 331. A car ran into a tree that fell across the highway causing injury to the occupant.”
• Fort Bend County, TX (near Sugarland) · Tornado F1 · $1.1 million
  “109 houses/businesses sustained damage. This tornado was mostly F0 with some F1 damage.”
• Harris County, TX (near Crosby) · Tornado F2 · $150,000
  “The tornado first touched down on the east shore of Lake Houston and moved northeast into extreme western Liberty County. This tornado was mostly F0 and F1 with some F2 damage at Foley Rd and Dallas Rd where a boat house was extremely damaged.”
• Montgomery County, TX (near Cut And Shoot) · Tornado F1 · $85,000
  “This tornado moved along HWY 105. Moderate damage to homes, businesses, and a school.”
• Newton County, MS (near Decatur) · Thunderstorm wind · $60,000
  “Several houses and automobiles were damaged when trees fell on them. Numerous trees were blown down. Estimated timber damage ranged from 30 to 35 thousand dollars.”

Event narratives from NWS Storm Data, shortened. Up to six per day, chosen by deaths, injuries, damage and size.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Storm Events Database, as entered by National Weather Service offices; data through July 31, 2026. Damage is in dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation.

Guides: What radar-estimated hail (MESH) is and isn't · Storm reports: preliminary vs final