The bar reopened just in time for the spring break rush.
GULFPORT, Fla. — One of Gulfport’s most beloved waterfront bars is back open after Hurricane Helene nearly wiped it out.
Hurricane Eddie’s officially reopened Thursday, ending a 16-month closure after the September 2024 storm flooded and heavily damaged the more than 100-year-old building.
The storm surge washed out the bar and left furniture and equipment piled into what staff described as a mangled mess of metal inside the building.
“When you first walk in, there’s so much damage. It’s complete devastation,” said William Hinton, general manager of Hurricane Eddie’s. “But when you don’t know where to start, you kind of just start somewhere, and it got better day by day. Now, it’s better than it’s ever looked.”
Crews had to make major structural repairs before the bar could reopen. Workers cut off the roof, rebuilt damaged walls and reinforced the historic wooden structure with stronger materials to make the building sturdier than before.
The rebuilding process took nearly a year and a half.
At one point, Hinton said he wasn’t sure the bar would survive.
“The entire bar itself was completely washed out. All of the seating was crammed into a corner,” he said. “I thought it would be condemned for sure.”
Despite the uncertainty, many employees stayed connected to the business during the closure. Ownership reassigned some workers to other locations while others helped with the rebuilding effort.
Now the bar is packed again with locals celebrating its return.
“You know what I like about this place? Gulfport is a great community,” said patron Anthony Ziemak. “And we’re so lucky that finally we have Hurricane Eddie’s opened up.”
Hinton says the reopening represents more than just the return of a neighborhood bar — it’s a sign of the community’s resilience.
“It’s awe-inspiring,” he said. “What we’ve done took a lot of work from a lot of really hard-working people on our team. We’re just appreciative to them and happy that we’re back.”
After a quiet spring break season last March, following the hurricanes, those at Hurricane Eddie’s are hoping the bar’s comeback will help bring visitors back to Gulfport’s waterfront.
For locals, though, the most important thing is simply having their favorite gathering spot back.
“Gulfport is very resilient,” Ziemak said. “I had no doubt they’d come back.”