St. Pete Marina Bounces Back From Hurricane Damage, Nominated For Best In The U.S.

Eight months after hurricanes Helene and Milton struck, Hubbard's Marina in Pinellas County has set new records. Their deep-sea trips and day cruises now draw more guests than ever.

The site, drawing 120,000 people yearly, fought back from near ruin. "I won't lie, there was a point there that I thought, where do you go from here?" said Dylan Hubbard to Bay News 9.

Hurricane Helene sent waves crashing past windows, flooding lots. Dawn broke to show widespread wreckage. "The sun started to come out and it was like scenes out of The Walking Dead," Hubbard said. "People were coming out of their homes. We had people standing on their seawalls. We had families crying."

The storms wrecked vital equipment. "We lost all our inventory. All our hardware. All our freezers. All our ice makers," Hubbard said. Massive waves, reaching 5 feet high, tore through the upper walkway.

The disaster left fourteen staff homeless. Yet the whole crew, all 82 members, pitched in right away. They shoveled sand, dried out walls, and fixed the dock step by step.

By winter's start, most John's Pass shops had reopened. When spring break tourists arrived, the area buzzed with its usual energy. Now boats zip to Egmont Key State Park and Shell Key daily, packed with eager visitors.

The waters to Fort DeSoto stay busy with boats heading to nearby islands. Staff prep fresh bait as groups gather, ready for their deep-sea adventures.

This comeback story keeps getting better. USA Today just picked Hubbard's Marina as a nominee for Best Fishing Charter in America. Want to support them? Cast your vote at 10Best.USAToday.com.