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Gulfport couple raises home after Hurricane Helene: ‘Up we go’

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Published  April 9, 2025 11:50pm EDT
Pinellas County
FOX 13 News

Couple urges neighbors to raise their cottages

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports on a Gulfport couple urging their neighbors in Gulfport to join them in raising their cottages instead of abandoning the area after Hurricane Helene.

The Brief

    • A Gulfport couple is raising their home on beams after Hurricane Helene left them with the decision to sell or rebuild.
    • They say raising the house is half the price of a traditional rebuild.
    • They hope neighbors also make the decision to remain in their homes after Hurricane Helene.

GULFPORT, Fla. - A Gulfport couple is preserving their colorful cottage by raising it 10 feet and hopes neighbors will follow suit to preserve the neighborhood charm.

The backstory:

Michael Thornton, Shauna Stone and their now 19-year-old dog moved to Gulfport's Arts District in 2011 for a reason. 

"Gulfport is kind of like an artist's community, and people paint them bright and happy colors," said Stone.

The couple said their 78-year-old cottage on Dupont St was no exception.

Hurricane Helene changed the neighborhood. Things are quiet as some residents wait for permits to fully rebuild their homes while others put their homes up for sale. The couple chose a third option. 

"Up we go," said Stone.

The couple decided to raise their home on beams. 

"We ran the numbers, it's about half the cost of tearing down and rebuilding," Thornton said.

"We're both 63. We don't want a big mortgage. We want to retire in a few years, so this is cheaper," Stone added.

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Dig deeper:

SBA Disaster Recovery loans and FEMA reimbursements help the couple cover the bill. 

The couple said they decided before beginning work on the house's interior. 

"We wanted to keep the character of the house, the cottage feel," Thornton said.

They hired JAS Builders.

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"They lifted it like within one day, a couple of days of prep," Stone said.

CEO Jeff Trosclair said what you see now will not be the final product. 

"What we're going to replace this with is, we're actually going to use steel, steel columns," Trosclair said. "I think he's going to close off some spots because he wants to do an office or something down here. We're also putting an elevator in."

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In addition to a staircase out front, the couple said they will begin restoring the interior once that's completed. 

"We will have to put new windows in and, of course, doors and hurricane-proof everything," Stone said.

Big picture view:

The couple hopes neighbors will follow suit. 

"Let's try to keep these little houses," Stone said. "If we can save them, we urge people to get involved in that Elevate Florida program if they could and elevate."

Trosclair said it's likely the most feasible option for these residents. 

"I think house lifting in general is the way to go from a financial standpoint," Trosclair said. "To knock down and rebuild, I tell people if you want to do that, do it because you really want a new house."

The Source: FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis collected the information in this story.

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