8/27/2025 – This week marks the 8th anniversary of Hurricane Harvey and the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – two of the most destructive storms in recent American history. So I wanted to see what the hurricane stats tell us about this part of the hurricane season as far back as we can reliably see.
The National Hurricane Center has an excellent climatology page for the broader Atlantic basin. But I could not find any lists on their site for the Gulf and Texas. So I asked ChatGPT for some research help narrowing the geographic scope. Here’s what it found in the data.
Notable Late August Major Hurricanes to Strike Gulf Coast
Several major hurricanes have struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in late August (roughly August 20–31) over the years. Here are the most notable ones:
1. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
Dates: August 23 – 30, 2005
Landfall: August 29 in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi
Impact: One of the costliest and deadliest U.S. hurricanes; catastrophic flooding in New Orleans after levee failures.
2. Hurricane Laura (2020)
Dates: August 20 – 29, 2020
Landfall: August 27 near Cameron, Louisiana (Category 4, 150 mph winds)
Impact: Devastated southwest Louisiana, massive storm surge and wind destruction.
3. Hurricane Harvey (2017)
Dates: August 17 – September 2, 2017
Landfall: August 25 near Rockport, Texas (Category 4)
Impact: Record-breaking rainfall in Houston region (up to 60″), catastrophic flooding across southeast Texas.
4. Hurricane Isaac (2012)
Dates: August 21 – September 1, 2012
Landfall: August 28 in southeast Louisiana (Category 1)
Impact: Widespread flooding, long-duration storm surge, power outages.
5. Hurricane Gustav (2008)
Dates: August 25 – September 4, 2008
Landfall: September 1 in Louisiana (Category 2), but struck the Gulf Coast region late August while strengthening.
6. Hurricane Andrew (1992)
Dates: August 16 – 28, 1992
Landfall: August 24 in South Florida, then August 26 in Louisiana (Category 3)
Impact: One of the most destructive U.S. hurricanes prior to Katrina.
Hurricane Camille (1969): Landfall August 17 (slightly before “late August,” but historic impact on Mississippi).
Hurricane Allen (1980): Active early to mid-August, not late August.
1999 Bret — Aug 22 • TX • Cat 3.
Hurricane Ida (2021): Formed August 26, made landfall August 29 in Louisiana as Category 4.
✅ Pattern: Late August is part of the peak hurricane season in the Gulf; multiple historic storms—including Katrina, Harvey, Laura, and Ida—all struck between August 25–29.
Two Thirds of All Gulf Coast Hurricanes Strike in August and September
Next, I asked ChatGPT to graph the distribution of all hurricanes (not just majors) to strike the Gulf Coast by month since 1851. NOAA last updated this information in 2020. So, these numbers do not include the last 5 years.
The total was 212; 141 in August and September. That works out to 66.5% of the total.
Counts by month (1851–2020) of all Gulf Coast Hurricanes:
June: 9
July: 17
August: 58
September: 83
October: 39
November: 6
👉 The peak is September, followed by August, then a secondary bump in October. Early (June–July) and late (November) landfalls are much rarer.
Texas Shows Even More Pronounced Concentration in August/September
By contrast, seventy-one percent of all Texas Hurricanes happen in August and September, a slightly higher concentration. We also get proportionately fewer in October compared to the entire Gulf.
Texas hurricane landfalls by month from 1851-2020 include:
June: 5
July: 7
August: 25
September: 29
October: 9
November: 1
Pattern of Active Decades
The distribution suggests clusters of active decades rather than a steady increase or decrease.
List of Texas Hurricane Landfalls
Here’s a historical list of Texas hurricane landfalls (1851–2020), drawn from NOAA’s official Hurricane Research Division dataset. I’ve grouped them by month and included year, name (if available), and Saffir–Simpson category.
June (5 total)
1871 – Indianola hurricane (Cat 3)
1886 – Indianola hurricane (Cat 4, destroyed the city)
1934 – June hurricane (Cat 2)
1957 – Audrey (Cat 3, TX/LA border, strongest in LA but impacted TX)
1960 – Unnamed June storm (Cat 1)
Beryl last year would be a notable addition to this list if we expanded the range of years.
July (7 total)
1867 – Unnamed hurricane (Cat 3, Galveston)
1888 – Unnamed hurricane (Cat 2, TX/LA border)
1909 – July hurricane (Cat 3, Port Arthur region)
1916 – July hurricane (Cat 3, Baffin Bay region)
1933 – July hurricane (Cat 3, south Texas)
1943 – July hurricane (Cat 1, Galveston/Houston area)
1970 – Celia (Cat 3, Corpus Christi, devastating wind damage)
August (25 total)
1880 – Indianola hurricane (Cat 2)
1915 – Galveston hurricane (Cat 4)
1932 – Freeport hurricane (Cat 4)
1942 – August hurricane (Cat 3, near Port O’Connor)
1945 – Texas hurricane (Cat 3, Matagorda)
1947 – Hurricane #4 (Cat 1, Brownsville region)
1961 – Carla (Cat 4, Matagorda)
1967 – Beulah (Cat 3, Brownsville)
1980 – Allen (Cat 3, near Brownsville)
1983 – Alicia (Cat 3, Galveston/Houston)
1999 – Bret (Cat 3, Padre Island, sparsely populated region)
2005 – Rita (Cat 3, TX/LA border, strongest impacts in LA but landfall partly in TX)
2008 – Dolly (Cat 1, near Brownsville)
2008 – Ike (Cat 2, Galveston/Houston, catastrophic surge)
2017 – Harvey (Cat 4, Rockport/Port Aransas, record flooding in Houston area) (and numerous weaker Cat 1–2 storms in between)
September (29 total)
1900 – Galveston hurricane (Cat 4, deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history)
1919 – Florida Keys / Corpus Christi hurricane (Cat 4, catastrophic in Corpus Christi)
1933 – September hurricane (Cat 3, Brownsville)
1967 – Beulah (still active early September after Aug landfall)
2002 – Lili (weaker in TX, major in LA)
2020 – Hanna (Cat 1, South Padre region) (plus ~20 others Cat 1–3 from NOAA HRD record, mostly South Texas landfalls)
1912 – October hurricane (Cat 2, Gulf coast TX/LA border)
1949 – October hurricane (Cat 2, Freeport area)
1989 – Jerry (Cat 1, near Galveston)
November (1 total)
1980 – Hurricane Jeanne (Cat 1, weakened quickly at landfall in south Texas)
✅ Key Pattern:
Peak months for Texas hurricane landfalls are August & September
The most destructive TX hurricanes historically include:
1900 Galveston (Cat 4)
1915 Galveston (Cat 4)
1919 Corpus Christi (Cat 4)
1961 Carla (Cat 4)
1983 Alicia (Cat 3)
2008 Ike (Cat 2, massive surge)
2017 Harvey (Cat 4, catastrophic flooding)
1900 Galveston Hurricane Still Deadliest Ever
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane (September 8, 1900) remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Estimated deaths range from 6,000 to 12,000. But the most widely cited figure is 8,000. Roughly one-third of Galveston’s population perished, thousands of homes were destroyed, and the disaster reshaped how the U.S. approached hurricane forecasting and preparedness.
By contrast, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 killed 68 people statewide and 36 in Harris County. You can attribute the improvement (reduction) to better forecasting and infrastructure.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/27/2025with research assistance from ChatGPT
2920 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/3_texas_monthly_counts.png?fit=1800%2C1000&ssl=110001800adminadmin2025-08-27 18:46:132025-08-27 18:47:31Hurricane Stats for Gulf Coast and Texas Going Back to 1850
Montgomery County has finally updated its drainage criteria manual…eight years after Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding that exposed shortcomings in its previous manual which dated to the 1980s.
Unanimously Approved
MoCo Commissioners approved the new manual unanimously this morning. The draft of the new manual was first proposed in early 2024. That followed a minor update in 2019 from the county’s old 1988 drainage criteria manual in effect at the time of Harvey.
The new manual does not adopt all of the minimum drainage recommendations proposed by Harris County for areas draining into Harris, though it is a vast improvement over the previous iteration.
Minimum Drainage Requirements Proposed by Harris County
1. Using Atlas 14 rainfall rates for sizing storm water conveyance and detention systems. 2. Requiring a minimum detention rate of 0.55 acre-feet per acre of detention for any new development on tracts one acre or larger. A single-family residential structure and accessory building proposed on an existing lot is exempt from providing detention. 3. Prohibiting the use of hydrograph timing as a substitute for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay. 4. Requiring “no net fill” in the current mapped 500-year floodplain, except in areas identified as coastal zones only. 5. Requiring the minimum Finished Flood Elevation of new habitable structures be established at or waterproofed to the 500-year flood elevation as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Study.
Major Changes in New MoCo Drainage Criteria Manual
MoCo’s new drainage criteria manual includes some, but not all, of those recommendations.
Comparison of Recommendations
Measure
Harris
Montgomery
Use of Atlas 14 Rainfall Standards
Yes
Yes
Minimum Detention Rate
.55 acre feet/acre
.55 acre feet/acre for areas greater than 20 acres (see page 57)
Prohibit Hydrographic Timing
Yes
Yes, but with limitations (see page 68)
No Net Fill in 500-Yr Floodplain
Prohibited
Still allowed
Finished Floor Elevation
At 500-yr flood elevation
Requires drainage be maintained one foot below lowest finished floor elevation for 100-year event (See page 54)
It’s not perfect. But it’s a vast improvement. Assuming the county enforces them.
Montgomery County resident Chad Price addressed Commissioners Court before the vote. He applauded most of the updates in the manual. However, he also urged commissioners to adopt ALL of Harris County’s minimum requirements.
Price emphasized the uncertainty surrounding rainfall rates, the increasing frequency of storms that exceed predicted maximums, and flood maps that have yet to be updated to reflect Atlas-14.
He made two excellent points:
We must not design drainage systems based on outdated data.
Better flood regulations are not about stopping growth—they’re about making sure growth is sustainable and safe.
In that regard, Price urged commissioners to update building codes, require smarter drainage planning, preserve natural floodplains, and use science-based floodplain mapping. He said, “These steps will reduce long-term costs to taxpayers, protect property values, and most importantly, safeguard our communities.”
Next Up
Montgomery County’s Floodplain Manager currently shows floodplain regulations adopted in 2014. That’s before the Tax Day, Memorial Day, Harvey, Imelda and May Day 2024 floods. Given the thousands of homes in MoCo that flood repeatedly, there may be some opportunities for improvement in those floodplain regs.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/26/25
2919 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/2025/08/20250826-MoCo-DCM-Cover.jpg?fit=1100%2C710&ssl=17101100adminadmin2025-08-26 16:41:062025-08-26 17:26:10MoCo Adopts New Drainage Criteria Manual 8 Years After Harvey
8/25/25 – For the first time since authorities broke ground for the Northpark expansion project in April 2023, it’s possible to clearly see the outlines of the finished project on the ground. The first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood is shaping up nicely.
For the most part, contractors have straightened out the zigs and zags. They have finished large sections of the westbound lanes. Drainage for the eastbound lanes is progressing nicely. And soon they will start pouring concrete for large sections of the remaining eastbound lanes.
Pictures Taken on 8/25/25
The drone pictures below show the progress…starting from Russell Palmer Road and heading east.
Notice how virtually all of the old Eastbound concrete has been removed as far as the eye can see.Looking W from near Warren’s Southern Gardens
Contractors are installing drainage under the westbound lanes. However, the drainage work is moving from west to east.
Looking West from near the Kolache Factory and the entrance to Kings Mill.Today, they were working near the Kolache Factory.Father west, sidewalks have already been installed on the north side of the street.
The photo above shows approximately where the bridge over the railroad tracks and Loop 494 will start. Notice how two lanes veer right to make room for the bridge.
Connecting the drainage from the east and west sides of the railroad tracks will require the twin five foot steel pipes stockpiled in the foreground.
However, work on boring under the tracks has stalled for now. But the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority believes that the utility conflicts which have delayed that operation will soon be resolved. Then boring under the tracks can resume.
Looking N along Loop 494. Note how one of the bore pits is blocking completion of the northbound expansion lanes.Looking S along 494 from over Northpark. Between Loop 494 and 59, crews are still connecting drainage under the roadway.Right now, they’re finishing the connection in front of Whataburger.Almost at US59, crews are making room for the surface lanes that will flank the bridge.
Looking in the opposite direction…
Those surface lanes will also connect to the surface lanes east of Loop 494 (right of the pavement.The new development on the SE corner of Northpark and Loop 494 will be called the Enclave.
The developer plans to build a 100 homes in the Enclave.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/20250825-DJI_20250825145032_0202_D.jpg?fit=1100%2C619&ssl=16191100adminadmin2025-08-25 18:25:472025-08-25 18:25:48Northpark Shaping Up
Hurricane Stats for Gulf Coast and Texas Going Back to 1850
8/27/2025 – This week marks the 8th anniversary of Hurricane Harvey and the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina – two of the most destructive storms in recent American history. So I wanted to see what the hurricane stats tell us about this part of the hurricane season as far back as we can reliably see.
The National Hurricane Center has an excellent climatology page for the broader Atlantic basin. But I could not find any lists on their site for the Gulf and Texas. So I asked ChatGPT for some research help narrowing the geographic scope. Here’s what it found in the data.
Notable Late August Major Hurricanes to Strike Gulf Coast
Several major hurricanes have struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in late August (roughly August 20–31) over the years. Here are the most notable ones:
1. Hurricane Katrina (2005)
2. Hurricane Laura (2020)
3. Hurricane Harvey (2017)
4. Hurricane Isaac (2012)
5. Hurricane Gustav (2008)
6. Hurricane Andrew (1992)
Other Notable Late-August Gulf Hurricanes
✅ Pattern: Late August is part of the peak hurricane season in the Gulf; multiple historic storms—including Katrina, Harvey, Laura, and Ida—all struck between August 25–29.
Two Thirds of All Gulf Coast Hurricanes Strike in August and September
Next, I asked ChatGPT to graph the distribution of all hurricanes (not just majors) to strike the Gulf Coast by month since 1851. NOAA last updated this information in 2020. So, these numbers do not include the last 5 years.
The total was 212; 141 in August and September. That works out to 66.5% of the total.
Counts by month (1851–2020) of all Gulf Coast Hurricanes:
👉 The peak is September, followed by August, then a secondary bump in October. Early (June–July) and late (November) landfalls are much rarer.
Texas Shows Even More Pronounced Concentration in August/September
By contrast, seventy-one percent of all Texas Hurricanes happen in August and September, a slightly higher concentration. We also get proportionately fewer in October compared to the entire Gulf.
Texas hurricane landfalls by month from 1851-2020 include:
Pattern of Active Decades
The distribution suggests clusters of active decades rather than a steady increase or decrease.
List of Texas Hurricane Landfalls
Here’s a historical list of Texas hurricane landfalls (1851–2020), drawn from NOAA’s official Hurricane Research Division dataset. I’ve grouped them by month and included year, name (if available), and Saffir–Simpson category.
June (5 total)
Beryl last year would be a notable addition to this list if we expanded the range of years.
July (7 total)
August (25 total)
(and numerous weaker Cat 1–2 storms in between)
September (29 total)
(plus ~20 others Cat 1–3 from NOAA HRD record, mostly South Texas landfalls)
October (9 total)
November (1 total)
✅ Key Pattern:
1900 Galveston Hurricane Still Deadliest Ever
The 1900 Galveston Hurricane (September 8, 1900) remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Estimated deaths range from 6,000 to 12,000. But the most widely cited figure is 8,000. Roughly one-third of Galveston’s population perished, thousands of homes were destroyed, and the disaster reshaped how the U.S. approached hurricane forecasting and preparedness.
By contrast, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 killed 68 people statewide and 36 in Harris County. You can attribute the improvement (reduction) to better forecasting and infrastructure.
For more information about Texas hurricanes (including tropical storms) going back to the 1500s, see Texas Hurricane History by David Roth of the National Weather Service.
For more interesting Hurricane records, see this post.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/27/2025 with research assistance from ChatGPT
2920 Days since Hurricane Harvey
MoCo Adopts New Drainage Criteria Manual 8 Years After Harvey
Montgomery County has finally updated its drainage criteria manual…eight years after Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding that exposed shortcomings in its previous manual which dated to the 1980s.
Unanimously Approved
MoCo Commissioners approved the new manual unanimously this morning. The draft of the new manual was first proposed in early 2024. That followed a minor update in 2019 from the county’s old 1988 drainage criteria manual in effect at the time of Harvey.
The new manual does not adopt all of the minimum drainage recommendations proposed by Harris County for areas draining into Harris, though it is a vast improvement over the previous iteration.
Minimum Drainage Requirements Proposed by Harris County
The minimum drainage requirements proposed by Harris County included five key measures:
1. Using Atlas 14 rainfall rates for sizing storm water conveyance and detention systems.
2. Requiring a minimum detention rate of 0.55 acre-feet per acre of detention for any new development on tracts one acre or larger. A single-family residential structure and accessory building proposed on an existing lot is exempt from providing detention.
3. Prohibiting the use of hydrograph timing as a substitute for detention on any project, unless it directly outfalls into Galveston Bay.
4. Requiring “no net fill” in the current mapped 500-year floodplain, except in areas identified as coastal zones only.
5. Requiring the minimum Finished Flood Elevation of new habitable structures be established at or waterproofed to the 500-year flood elevation as shown on the effective Flood Insurance Study.
Major Changes in New MoCo Drainage Criteria Manual
MoCo’s new drainage criteria manual includes some, but not all, of those recommendations.
It’s not perfect. But it’s a vast improvement. Assuming the county enforces them.
For ease of future reference, you can find Montgomery County’s new, updated Drainage Criteria Manual on the Reports page under the Regulations tab.
Suggestions by MoCo Resident
Montgomery County resident Chad Price addressed Commissioners Court before the vote. He applauded most of the updates in the manual. However, he also urged commissioners to adopt ALL of Harris County’s minimum requirements.
Price emphasized the uncertainty surrounding rainfall rates, the increasing frequency of storms that exceed predicted maximums, and flood maps that have yet to be updated to reflect Atlas-14.
He made two excellent points:
In that regard, Price urged commissioners to update building codes, require smarter drainage planning, preserve natural floodplains, and use science-based floodplain mapping. He said, “These steps will reduce long-term costs to taxpayers, protect property values, and most importantly, safeguard our communities.”
Next Up
Montgomery County’s Floodplain Manager currently shows floodplain regulations adopted in 2014. That’s before the Tax Day, Memorial Day, Harvey, Imelda and May Day 2024 floods. Given the thousands of homes in MoCo that flood repeatedly, there may be some opportunities for improvement in those floodplain regs.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/26/25
2919 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.
Northpark Shaping Up
8/25/25 – For the first time since authorities broke ground for the Northpark expansion project in April 2023, it’s possible to clearly see the outlines of the finished project on the ground. The first all-weather evacuation route from Kingwood is shaping up nicely.
For the most part, contractors have straightened out the zigs and zags. They have finished large sections of the westbound lanes. Drainage for the eastbound lanes is progressing nicely. And soon they will start pouring concrete for large sections of the remaining eastbound lanes.
Pictures Taken on 8/25/25
The drone pictures below show the progress…starting from Russell Palmer Road and heading east.
Contractors are installing drainage under the westbound lanes. However, the drainage work is moving from west to east.
The photo above shows approximately where the bridge over the railroad tracks and Loop 494 will start. Notice how two lanes veer right to make room for the bridge.
However, work on boring under the tracks has stalled for now. But the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority believes that the utility conflicts which have delayed that operation will soon be resolved. Then boring under the tracks can resume.
Looking in the opposite direction…
The developer plans to build a 100 homes in the Enclave.
For more information, consult the Lake Houston Redevelopment Authority website.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/25/25
2918 Days since Hurricane Harvey