{"id":1037208,"date":"2026-09-01T17:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1037208\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T17:13:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:13:13","slug":"crystal-beach-businesses-prepare-for-possible-flooding-as-tropical-system-approaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1037208\/","title":{"rendered":"Crystal Beach businesses prepare for possible flooding as tropical system approaches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><strong>CRYSTAL BEACH, Texas<\/strong> \u2013 Capt. Jeff Brandon usually spends his days taking customers fishing on East Galveston Bay. As a tropical system approached the Texas coast, however, he decided to bring his boat to dry land.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon said he normally leaves the boat on a lift near his business for most of the year. With a tropical storm warning in effect for the Bolivar Peninsula and flooding possible, he decided it was safer to move it.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cThis road that I\u2019m on, where my business is, it has a tendency to flood,\u201d Brandon said. <\/p>\n<p>Capt. Jeff Brandon (KPRC 2)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon planned to place the boat on its trailer and keep it at his home until the storm passed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI would rather be a little more cautious,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Protecting the business<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon runs guided inshore fishing trips and said his business depends on keeping his boat operational.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWell, my business depends on being able to go out on my boat,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cSo without a boat, I\u2019m rather, handicapped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon has spent much of his life fishing and said he\u2019s owned about 17 boats over the years. He began offering guided trips during the COVID-19 pandemic and became more serious about the business in late 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Get the Net Guide Services (KPRC 2)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cJust like taking people out and seeing the excitement when they catch fish,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cAnd just being out on the water itself is calming and just a good office view.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">His family began visiting Crystal Beach years ago, and Brandon said they eventually fell in love with saltwater fishing and the community. He and his wife moved to the area after their daughter left for college.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s really just a little laid back community,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cClose enough to Galveston, but far enough away that you can relax and not be bombarded by huge crowds most times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>High water remains a concern<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon said the water can cover the dock area and surrounding parking lot when a strong enough storm approaches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIf it\u2019s a big enough storm, this whole parking lot and everything will be underwater,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">How much flooding occurs depends on the storm\u2019s track, strength, wind and tides. Brandon said the area near his business is particularly vulnerable to rising water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cIt really just depends. It\u2019s kind of hit or miss,\u201d he said. \u201cThis area has a tendency to get a little higher water levels over here anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Water can also cover portions of the beach and nearby roads.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cThere are times when we have a tropical storm and I live in a neighborhood, it\u2019s about a mile from here that, you know, you can\u2019t drive down the beach, you drive down the road and there\u2019s water,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon said boats left on lifts can also be damaged by high water or strong winds. Rising water can cause a boat to strike the roof of a boathouse, while strong winds can push it into the sides of the structure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cI would just rather not do that,\u201d Brandon said. <\/p>\n<p>Businesses monitoring the storm<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon said many residents and business owners on the peninsula have experienced tropical systems before and were not panicking. However, they were continuing to monitor the forecast because conditions can change quickly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cNot scared. Just, optimistically cautious,\u201d Brandon said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">He said people who have lived in the area for decades have watched many storms approach and pass without causing significant damage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cPeople that have been here, you know, for ten, 20, 30 years, a lot of them, they just, they\u2019ve seen it come and go and they\u2019re, they\u2019re just not as concerned,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cBut, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m just a little more on the cautious side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">A short disruption would not significantly affect his business, Brandon said, but an extended closure would be more difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cYou know, a day off is not bad. You know, a week or two weeks off would be a little more difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a huge deal to give me some time to do a little work on my boat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon expects to return to the water soon after conditions improve.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cAbsolutely. Because once the storm passes, it\u2019s just a tropical storm, you know, in a couple of days, we\u2019re going to be back out, back on the water again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>How to prepare<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Meteorologists warn that tropical systems can strengthen quickly. Residents should monitor the forecast and prepare before conditions deteriorate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\"><b>Recommended supplies include:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 etvbxt font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Nonperishable food<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Drinking water<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Flashlights<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Extra batteries<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>A weather radio<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>Necessary medications<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Stack-vJ7SwH7U__StackBase-sc-1m5bkhd-0 evEXvX dsnUCb\">\n<p>A portable or solar-powered phone charger<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Residents should also secure outdoor items, move recreational vehicles from flood-prone areas and avoid driving through high water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Brandon said his household keeps basic supplies available but planned to purchase additional water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">\u201cWe\u2019ve got our things at home that we need,\u201d Brandon said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to go out. We\u2019re going to go out and buy a ton of water and toilet paper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Box-_wrDxHtU__Box-sc-10sa3ie-0 Text-nO2aZ44r__TextBase-sc-s2hv5x-0 jJNfBD fSvavs article-text\">Crystal Beach residents can register for Galveston County emergency notifications at GCOEM.org. The system provides alerts by phone call, text message or email. You can also download the free KPRC 2 App to stay up-to-date on the latest forecast.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CRYSTAL BEACH, Texas \u2013 Capt. Jeff Brandon usually spends his days taking customers fishing on East Galveston Bay.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1037209,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[23],"tags":[414980,414979,746,6679,159,414490,414220,23776,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-1037208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-bolivar-peninsula","tag-crystal-beach","tag-environment","tag-galveston-county","tag-science","tag-tropical-depression-5","tag-tropical-storm-edouard","tag-tropical-weather","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117196908528226918","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1037208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1037209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1037208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1037208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1037208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}