ACCEPT LOSS,
DON’T LOSE FAITH,
AND WORK TOWARD
BRIGHTER DAYS
SUMMER 2019 13
Lynn’s
STRONG
W hen Lynn Martina got a post-storm look
at her Raw Bar and Seafood Market after
Hurricane Michael, one thought sprang to
mind. Here we go...again. Lynn’s property, like
many along Eastpoint’s working waterfront,
is uniquely vulnerable. “Anytime a storm gets
close,” said Lynn, “it takes a piece of Eastpoint
with it. Michael only winged us, but this stretch
of bayfront does not know how to dodge a bullet.”
Lynn’s Quality Oysters has reorganized and
rebuilt a few times over the last 30 years, most
notably after Hurricane Dennis in 2005. “Yeah,
that was a bad one,” Lynn recalled. Quite the
understatement when you remember Dennis
pushed storm surge as high as 13 feet into coastal
Franklin County. While the worst of Michael’s
destructive force was focused
further west, the hurricane still
managed to destroy large sections
of scenic Highway 98 between
Eastpoint and Carrabelle, rip off
the back of Lynn’s building, and
reduce her patio, made with six
inch thick reinforced concrete,
to rubble. A lot of damage, but
Lynn and her staff had seen worse.
Getting the seafood market and
restaurant reopened was never in
question. It was simply “time to
make a new plan. You can’t run
a raw bar if your customers have
nowhere to sit down, and you can’t
sell seafood if you can’t keep it
cold.” So began the recovery...
LYNN’S BAYSIDE PATIO POST-STORM
They cleaned up the mess out back.
Lynn vacated her office – the space
was remodeled into a dining room
with porch seating just outside.
The kitchen and seafood market were put back
together. Then, on October 26, 2018, only 16
days after Hurricane Michael made landfall,
Lynn’s Quality Oysters reopened its seafood
market. The raw bar followed suit just 2 days
later. “It was supposed to be 3 days later – on
Monday,” Lynn shared, “but we had customers
waiting outside on Sunday morning.” In typical
Lynn’s fashion, they welcomed their patrons
inside, started shucking oysters, and made the
best of it.
“We fed so many people from Gulf County and
Mexico Beach over those first few months,” said
Lynn. “Residents in search of ‘normal’ amid the
chaos, linemen, relief workers, debris removal
crews.” In the wake of Hurricane Michael, so
much fighting spirit, resilience, determination
and generosity came through their doors that
Lynn and staff became absolutely convinced the
region would bounce back – that it was only a
matter of time.
“After a disaster like this,” Lynn said, “I think
everyone wonders if their community is going
to be okay.” She isn’t harboring any doubts
about Florida’s Forgotten Coast, though. “Alot
of hard work and a little faith, and we’ll all get
through it.” The folks at Lynn’s ought to know.
They’ve done it before. Forgotten Coast Strong.
STILL SMOKIN’