Tubing businesses are prepared for the tourism traffic with a big chunk of traffic coming from Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth.
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — With a flood watch set to go into effect starting Friday evening, thousands of people are expected to pack New Braunfels this Memorial Day weekend.
Tourism leaders and river outfitters noted wet weather could impact some travel plans, but many are still expecting major crowds from across Texas.
“Sometimes we get disappointed with the rain, but the rain is what we float on,” said Colie Reno with Texas Tubes.
Reno said current river levels along the Comal River are ideal heading into one of the busiest weekends of the year. He expects between 6,000 and 8,000 tubers to hit the river over the holiday weekend.
“We’ll just see what the weather does. It’s always a crapshoot,” Reno said. “Our true tourists out of Houston, Dallas, those areas, they’re coming.”
According to the New Braunfels Convention and Visitors Bureau, about 130,000 people visited the city during Memorial Day weekend last year. Businesses are now preparing for another surge in visitors despite the uncertain forecast.
“Obviously, the forecast will dampen some of that and some people questioning whether they come out,” said Shane Wolf with Landa Falls.
Wolf noted operations will continue rain or shine, though safety remains top priority.
“We’ll continue putting people out in rain itself, we’ll monitor that obviously from the weather channels,” Wolf said. “Lightning is where we’ll hold back.”
Others are ready for alternative plans if Mother Nature doesn’t play nice.
“Bummer to not get in the river, but there’s still a lot of fun indoor activities here in New Braunfels, shopping centers and gaming areas nearby,” said William Wood.
Locals like Daryl Fisher plan to float the river the risks that can come with crowded waterways and changing weather conditions.
“There’s always a time and place to have fun, but if you’re putting safety in the way, you should probably put it aside.”
The flood watch is set to go into effect Friday night and last through Monday evening, according to the National Weather Service.