Thursday, October 1, 2026
Less than two weeks after an EF-1 tornado tore through the Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, damaging 50 cabanas, the longtime beach club is beginning the process of rebuilding while allowing members to return for the final weekends of the summer.
William Baumert, president of Sun & Surf, said the club has made significant progress clearing debris and repairing the property since the Aug. 20 tornado, which had estimated peak winds of 97 mph and damaged portions of the club.
The club partially reopened Aug. 29 and 30 and the cafeteria, bar and Osprey deck will be open, while the restaurant will remain closed.
“We want the people to see that we’re not going anywhere,” Baumert said. “A lot of people would think, ‘Oh, my God, look at this,’ and they’re never going to rebuild.”
The restaurant is expected to remain closed through the end of the season because its dining room is being used to store belongings from members whose cabanas were damaged. Baumert said the restaurant is expected to reopen next season.
During the week, the club will close to allow construction crews to safely begin rebuilding affected cabanas and lockers.
“We are presently in the process of getting rid of the debris from the storm, and we are also in the process of rebuilding,” Baumert said. “We hope, within the next three weeks, we’ll have it completed.”
The most heavily damaged areas include cabanas and lockers in E-21 through E-52 and F-33 through F-62. Baumert said the damaged cabanas will be rebuilt, with the extent of the work depending on the condition of each structure.
Some cabanas were damaged when debris and portions of structures were lifted by the tornado and landed on other roofs.
Despite the extensive damage, Baumert said most of the club has been cleared and repaired enough for members to return safely. The club’s notice to members said nearly all areas would be accessible, with the exception of the most heavily damaged sections.
The club warned that small debris and potentially hazardous materials could remain on the property. Members, particularly children, were encouraged to wear closed-toe footwear and exercise caution around damaged areas.
Members whose cabanas or lockers were in affected sections were given escorted access to retrieve belongings and salvage what they could before specialized crews began work.
Sun & Surf members also continued to have access to Silver Point through Sept. 13 while work at the club continues.
Baumert said the club’s staff and members have received significant support from neighboring businesses and other beach clubs following the tornado.
“Everybody has been nothing but helpful in terms of helping this out,” he said. “Some of the restaurants have been providing free lunch for the workers.”
Other beach clubs, he said, also offered to accommodate Sun & Surf members while the club was closed.
“It was so nice that people were helping out as friends and neighbors, rather than as competitors,” Baumert said.
For a club where some families have spent generations together, the damage has been particularly difficult. Baumert said some members have belonged to Sun & Surf for three generations and described returning to the club as an “automatic custom” for many families.
With rebuilding underway, Baumert is looking toward next summer, when he hopes the club will be fully restored and the tornado will be a memory.
“We’ve got most of it in hand now,” he said. “God willing, we’ll be around a long time.”
