“They need this camaraderie in our community,” Kelly Wright, owner of The North End Taphouse and Kitchen said.
GULFPORT, Fla. — In August, Hurricane Debby tore through Gulfport’s boating community. Next came Hurricane Helene with devastating storm surge and finally Hurricane Milton with more surge and high winds.
The storms gutted both businesses and homes, including Kiki Hancock’s.
“I’ve shed a lot of tears since Sept. 26th when the storm happened, but mostly tears of joy,” Hancock said.
Hancock said she’s lost everything, but her community has been there to pick her up.
“In the meantime, a good friend of ours let us stay at his house with he and his wife for both storms,” Hancock said.
She added that’s what it means to be Gulfport strong.
At the North End Taphouse and Kitchen, Kelly Wright said many people are relaxing for the first time.
“I feel like people need …