A PUB left with £100,000 of damage after falling victim to the storm surge in December is reopening this weekend.
Relieved owner Sue Perkins has spent the past six months renovating The Whittington & Cat in Commercial Road, near Hull Marina, which was badly damaged by the floodwater that washed through the premises on December 5.
Ms Perkins said she might have been forced to close the business if her other pub, the Railway Inn in New Ellerby, had not been doing so well.
But now The Whittington & Cat has been completely refurbished.
There will be a party this evening
Ms Perkins said: "It will be lovely to be back.
"It has been quite a waiting game and it seems to have taken forever to dry out the pub.
"But it has given us an opportunity to give the pub a facelift.
"We have installed disabled toilets and baby-changing facilities.
"We wanted to bring the pub up to date, as not much has been spent on the bar in recent years.
"We have kept the snug traditional but the bar is a lot more modern and open."
She applied for help from Hull City Council after it received £230,000 from central government to aid flood victims, but said she had been left feeling frustrated by her insurers.
She said: "We were just being told our policy didn't cover this and that.
"For instance, the insurance covers wine and spirits but not beer, for some reason. It has taken an awfully long time to get the money and, even now, we have only received two small payments."
Ms Perkins hopes people will return to the pub, which also has seven guest rooms and an apartment and which will now focus on good food.
She said: "It looks a bit like a tired Victorian pub on the outside, but many people say it is a hidden gem.
"We are looking to improve the menu and provide more fresh fish.
"We pride ourselves on our home cooking, which is what attracts people.
"We would just urge customers to come back and see what we have done."
Many businesses in the area around English Street and Kingston Retail Park have remained closed since the December floods.
Ms Perkins also owns the Wassand Arms in west Hull, which was also damaged by the floods.
Staff at The Whittington & Cat have been receiving basic pay to keep them going, she said.
Ms Perkins's daughter, Lydia, works at the pub and was there the night it flooded.
She said: "I am so excited about the reopening.
"The pub looks absolutely lovely now.
"It is completely different, with chandeliers and new seating.
"My heart is in this place and I can't wait to get back to it."
