9/10/26 – Looking back at the last 100 years, today is the statistical peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin. However, this year will also set a record for the latest “first hurricane” in recorded history…if we get one.
Since 1950, the record for the latest first hurricane was set in 2002 by Gustav and later tied in 2013 by Humberto. Both formed on September 11, according to AccuWeather.
“If no hurricane forms by Friday (Sept. 11), the 2026 Atlantic season will mark the latest point in the satellite era without an Atlantic hurricane,” they said.
Hurricane Climatology
So far this year, the season looks like a rarity. How much so? Check out the charts below taken from the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) Climatology page. All represent data for the Atlantic Basin.
The first shows the number of hurricanes observed from May through December in the last hundred years. The historical peak happens today, September 10.
But the screen capture below, shows no tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. And NONE expected for the next seven days.
Screen capture from National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Outlook page on September 10, 2026
So, 2026 will go down in the record books as a late bloomer. And if the wind sheer induced by the current El Niño continues, who knows? We could tie 1914.
Defining Normal
Weather forecasters nationwide are cherry picking their own frames of reference. Some say this will be the latest start since 1950…a nice round number. Others are saying, this will be the latest start since 1963…the start of the satellite era, which helped improve our global acuity.
NHC’s climatology page shows what happens when in a normal year…defined as the average in a recent 30 year period.
“Normally” by now, we would have had eight named storms, three of which were hurricanes and one of which was a major hurricane.
The chart below shows where those storms start during the first ten days of September.
Converting that into a heat map that illustrates the relative risk of a cyclone striking you shows that the Houston area (green) lies in the middle of pack. The Mississippi delta region and the East Coast from Miami to Virginia have all had more cyclones strike them in the last hundred years during September.
Finally, looking back to 1851, the number of cyclones in the Atlantic Basin seems to be increasing. However, advances in technology, such as satellites, may skew the numbers. Still, you can clearly see immense variation within relatively short periods.
For instance, reviewing the table associated with the bar graph above shows that in 2014, the Atlantic had just eight named storms. In 2020, we had 30.
The data also shows only two years since 1851 without any hurricanes…1907 and 1914. Both occurred more than a hundred years ago.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/10/2026 based on NHC data.
3299 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-10-at-10.42.01-AM-scaled.png?fit=2560%2C1387&ssl=113872560adminadmin2026-09-10 12:52:292026-09-10 12:53:46At Peak of Hurricane Season, No Hurricanes. How Unusual is That?
9/8/2026 – Since starting this blog, I’ve published the equivalent of more than two full length novels about Northpark. That’s daunting for even the most avid readers. So, in a nutshell, here is a brief summary of what the Northpark project is all about and its benefits.
Northpark in a Nutshell
Major Problems:
During major floods, Kingwood exits can all go underwater. In Hurricane Harvey, Hamblen, Kingwood Drive, Mills Branch, Northpark, US59, West Lake Houston Parkway and Woodland Hills were all cut off by flood water that rose in the middle of the night…without warning.
US59 during Harvey. Photo by Melinda Ray.Kings Harbor resident being rescued during HarveyHamblen Road during Harvey. Photo by Jim Balcom.
The UnionPacific Railroad Bridge was also knocked out.
Repair work underway after Harvey on the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge that parallels US59.
Power and cellular communication were knocked out. Many people became stranded by rising water. It turned neighborhoods into islands with no way to learn whether there were any ways out.
Kingwood High School flooded to second floor.
Every business in Kingwood Town Center and Kings Harbor also flooded. Altogether, 15 people died in Kingwood – almost half the total in all of Harris County.
Northpark Drive is the highest artery and the one farthest from San Jacinto East and West Forks. However, it frequently floods between Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. I know this because it affected my business on Glade Valley opposite Kingwood Park High School almost every year.
Plus, Northpark has three other problems:
Long UPRR trains can block Northpark if there is a problem at Kingwood Drive or the West Fork. So even if people could get past the part of Northpark that now floods, they might not be able to get out of Kingwood.
In an emergency, the old two outbound lanes on Northpark couldn’t handle all the traffic that would normally flows through all the other exits.
In the event of a train derailment during a flood, 78,000 people could be trapped with no way out.
The Solution: Improve Northpark
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 is:
Widening Northpark from 4 lanes to 6 from Woodland Hills to US 59 in two phases
Building a bridge over UPRR railroad tracks and Loop 494
Installing new streetlights all the way to 59 (previously parts were unlit)
Improving drainage, stormwater detention
Building entry ponds at 59 that provide both aesthetic and flood reduction benefits
Constructing a large, new detention basin where Northpark currently floods between Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch.
Elevation of the roadway and bridges where Northpark frequently floods.
Expanding the ditch that runs north of Northpark
Ditch One runs east to west north of Northpark and empties into the Diversion Ditch (center) and Bens Branch (r).
Who’s Paying
Anyone who spends money within the boundaries of the TIRZ through a sales-tax increment.
Timing
Phase I (US59 to Russell Palmer) should be complete by early 2027
Phase II (Russell Palmer to Woodland Hills) by 2032.
Benefits
Faster commutes for half of Kingwood
First all-weather evacuation route for 78,000 people
Reduced flood risk
Improved public safety
One Part of a Larger Jigsaw Puzzle
Northpark will solve an evacuation problem during extreme flood events. It will also handle larger traffic loads faster as Kingwood continues to grow. However, it will not solve all flooding issues in Kingwood by itself. We must also consider other flood-mitigation initiatives such as:
Upstream detention – Only 15% of the 2500 square miles upstream from Lake Houston are currently controlled by an SJRA dam (Lake Conroe). We need more upstream detention to help reduce peak loads when the SJRA opens Conroe’s gates.
Ongoing dredging – Lake Houston now has a dredging and maintenance district, but it’s just getting organizing. Meanwhile, it’s been years since the Army Corps’ emergency dredging program and sediment is filling back in.
Additional flood gates on Lake Houston – The release rate on Lake Conroe is 15 times greater than Lake Houston, effectively negating pre-release as a strategy to lower the lake and create more floodwater storage.
Development and Sand Mining Regulations Upstream – These need to be harmonized so that improvements downstream aren’t immediately offset by issues upstream.
Subsidence – Because subsidence is happening faster at the Harris/Montgomery County line than at the Lake Houston Dam, reducing the safety margin (feet above floodplain) for property owners in the Humble/Kingwood/Huffman/Atascocita areas.
I could go on, but I’ll cover these in future summaries, such as this one.
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DJI_20260511124341_0030_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2026-09-08 19:28:312026-09-09 06:57:31Northpark in a Nutshell: Overview of the Expansion Project and Its Benefits
9/7/2026 – A fisherman out on the San Jacinto West Fork during the Labor Day weekend reports that the river depth is a mere 2.4 feet adjacent to the giant Hallett Mine in Porter. Normally, he says, the river is 8-10 feet deep at that location. However, that’s not the only problem.
Area where river depth has been reduced. See pics below.
Hundreds of nearby trees are dying where Hallett’s settling pond leaked pollution for more than a year before the TCEQ investigated the problem. Ultimately, TCEQ issued no fines but required Hallett to fix leakage around the perimeter of its settling pond.
River One-Quarter Its Normal Depth
The pictures below show the loose sediment that Hallett used to build up the dike around the western portion of its settling pond in March of this year.
Dirt dumped into river from Hallett Mine in March 2026More dirt spilling into river slightly upstream at same dike in same mine.
The result?
The river that was 8-10 feet deep before the repairs is now 2.4 feet deep.
Local fisherman
The dirt has eroded into the river. See depth-finder screen below.
Fisherman’s depth finder adjacent to dirt shown aboveTheHallett sediment extended approximately 50 feet into the river back in March of 2026.
Rains since March have eroded some of the dirt shown above down into the river, decreasing the river’s depth. However, additional sediment may have also come from other sources. For instance, just upstream, the West Fork has migrated through a Hallett pit and flowed through it since at least April of 2024.
Trees Dying by Year-Long Hallett Leak
At the eastern edge of the same settling pond, sediment was escaping across a perimeter road for more than full year.
Route of leaking sludge carried it through trees between homeowners and Hallett’s settling pond.
For a better view, see this YouTube video linked below.
According to a nearby resident, hundreds of the trees shown above are now dying. “Waste water from the settling pond is killing all the pine trees,” he said. “Over half are dead already and the other half are dying. It’s killing them all.
Contributing to Problem but Not Solution
As the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District begins its planning, the board may want to work with Montgomery County Authorities and the State to closely monitor mines such as Hallett. As photos above show, they certainly contribute to the problem, but they pay nothing to help clean it up.
Why is this important? When rivers become clogged with sediment, they lose their conveyance capacity. Then, when floods come along, stormwater winds up in living rooms instead of staying where it should.
At the very least, the State should require larger setbacks from rivers for sand mines. Other states require setbacks ranging from 100 feet to more than a 1000. But not Texas. We let miners operate right up to the edge of rivers and streams…so they can profit and you can pay for the cleanup.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/7/26
3296 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_8814.jpg?fit=1100%2C882&ssl=18821100adminadmin2026-09-07 16:33:172026-09-08 08:37:28West Fork Only 2.4 Feet Deep at Hallett Mine, Nearby Trees Dying From Pollution
At Peak of Hurricane Season, No Hurricanes. How Unusual is That?
9/10/26 – Looking back at the last 100 years, today is the statistical peak of hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin. However, this year will also set a record for the latest “first hurricane” in recorded history…if we get one.
Since 1950, the record for the latest first hurricane was set in 2002 by Gustav and later tied in 2013 by Humberto. Both formed on September 11, according to AccuWeather.
“If no hurricane forms by Friday (Sept. 11), the 2026 Atlantic season will mark the latest point in the satellite era without an Atlantic hurricane,” they said.
Hurricane Climatology
So far this year, the season looks like a rarity. How much so? Check out the charts below taken from the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) Climatology page. All represent data for the Atlantic Basin.
The first shows the number of hurricanes observed from May through December in the last hundred years. The historical peak happens today, September 10.
But the screen capture below, shows no tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic. And NONE expected for the next seven days.
So, 2026 will go down in the record books as a late bloomer. And if the wind sheer induced by the current El Niño continues, who knows? We could tie 1914.
Defining Normal
Weather forecasters nationwide are cherry picking their own frames of reference. Some say this will be the latest start since 1950…a nice round number. Others are saying, this will be the latest start since 1963…the start of the satellite era, which helped improve our global acuity.
NHC’s climatology page shows what happens when in a normal year…defined as the average in a recent 30 year period.
“Normally” by now, we would have had eight named storms, three of which were hurricanes and one of which was a major hurricane.
The chart below shows where those storms start during the first ten days of September.
Converting that into a heat map that illustrates the relative risk of a cyclone striking you shows that the Houston area (green) lies in the middle of pack. The Mississippi delta region and the East Coast from Miami to Virginia have all had more cyclones strike them in the last hundred years during September.
Finally, looking back to 1851, the number of cyclones in the Atlantic Basin seems to be increasing. However, advances in technology, such as satellites, may skew the numbers. Still, you can clearly see immense variation within relatively short periods.
For instance, reviewing the table associated with the bar graph above shows that in 2014, the Atlantic had just eight named storms. In 2020, we had 30.
The data also shows only two years since 1851 without any hurricanes…1907 and 1914. Both occurred more than a hundred years ago.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/10/2026 based on NHC data.
3299 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Northpark in a Nutshell: Overview of the Expansion Project and Its Benefits
9/8/2026 – Since starting this blog, I’ve published the equivalent of more than two full length novels about Northpark. That’s daunting for even the most avid readers. So, in a nutshell, here is a brief summary of what the Northpark project is all about and its benefits.
Northpark in a Nutshell
Major Problems:
During major floods, Kingwood exits can all go underwater. In Hurricane Harvey, Hamblen, Kingwood Drive, Mills Branch, Northpark, US59, West Lake Houston Parkway and Woodland Hills were all cut off by flood water that rose in the middle of the night…without warning.
The UnionPacific Railroad Bridge was also knocked out.
Power and cellular communication were knocked out. Many people became stranded by rising water. It turned neighborhoods into islands with no way to learn whether there were any ways out.
Kingwood High School flooded to second floor.
Every business in Kingwood Town Center and Kings Harbor also flooded. Altogether, 15 people died in Kingwood – almost half the total in all of Harris County.
Northpark Drive is the highest artery and the one farthest from San Jacinto East and West Forks. However, it frequently floods between Bens Branch and the Kingwood Diversion Ditch. I know this because it affected my business on Glade Valley opposite Kingwood Park High School almost every year.
Plus, Northpark has three other problems:
The Solution: Improve Northpark
The Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 is:
Who’s Paying
Anyone who spends money within the boundaries of the TIRZ through a sales-tax increment.
Timing
Benefits
One Part of a Larger Jigsaw Puzzle
Northpark will solve an evacuation problem during extreme flood events. It will also handle larger traffic loads faster as Kingwood continues to grow. However, it will not solve all flooding issues in Kingwood by itself. We must also consider other flood-mitigation initiatives such as:
I could go on, but I’ll cover these in future summaries, such as this one.
In the meantime, for more information about the Northpark Project visit the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 10 website project pages.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/8/2026
3297 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
West Fork Only 2.4 Feet Deep at Hallett Mine, Nearby Trees Dying From Pollution
9/7/2026 – A fisherman out on the San Jacinto West Fork during the Labor Day weekend reports that the river depth is a mere 2.4 feet adjacent to the giant Hallett Mine in Porter. Normally, he says, the river is 8-10 feet deep at that location. However, that’s not the only problem.
Hundreds of nearby trees are dying where Hallett’s settling pond leaked pollution for more than a year before the TCEQ investigated the problem. Ultimately, TCEQ issued no fines but required Hallett to fix leakage around the perimeter of its settling pond.
River One-Quarter Its Normal Depth
The pictures below show the loose sediment that Hallett used to build up the dike around the western portion of its settling pond in March of this year.
The result?
The dirt has eroded into the river. See depth-finder screen below.
Rains since March have eroded some of the dirt shown above down into the river, decreasing the river’s depth. However, additional sediment may have also come from other sources. For instance, just upstream, the West Fork has migrated through a Hallett pit and flowed through it since at least April of 2024.
Trees Dying by Year-Long Hallett Leak
At the eastern edge of the same settling pond, sediment was escaping across a perimeter road for more than full year.
For a better view, see this YouTube video linked below.
To play the YouTube video, click here.
According to a nearby resident, hundreds of the trees shown above are now dying. “Waste water from the settling pond is killing all the pine trees,” he said. “Over half are dead already and the other half are dying. It’s killing them all.
Contributing to Problem but Not Solution
As the Lake Houston Dredging and Maintenance District begins its planning, the board may want to work with Montgomery County Authorities and the State to closely monitor mines such as Hallett. As photos above show, they certainly contribute to the problem, but they pay nothing to help clean it up.
Why is this important? When rivers become clogged with sediment, they lose their conveyance capacity. Then, when floods come along, stormwater winds up in living rooms instead of staying where it should.
At the very least, the State should require larger setbacks from rivers for sand mines. Other states require setbacks ranging from 100 feet to more than a 1000. But not Texas. We let miners operate right up to the edge of rivers and streams…so they can profit and you can pay for the cleanup.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/7/26
3296 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.