ST PETE BEACH, Fla. — Nearly two years after hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated communities along the Pinellas County beaches, businesses on historic Corey Avenue are continuing their comeback.
For business owners like Yvonne Marcus, owner of Art Expo, the memories of the destruction are still vivid.
“When I walked in my back door, my back room was unrecognizable,” Marcus said.
Marcus said she and an employee put on hazmat suits and tackled the cleanup themselves. Then, days later, Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct. 9, 2024, compounding the damage left behind by Hurricane Helene.
“It was devastating,” store manager Johanna McGraw recalled.
Today, most businesses along Corey Avenue are back open. Marcus said she still sees scars left behind by the hurricanes and has not yet returned to her own home, but she’s encouraged by the progress she sees around St. Pete Beach.
“It’s just a place that I really love, and I’m so happy to see that the stores that were vacant are now starting to really fill up,” Marcus said.
McGraw also sees signs that business is bouncing back.
“This year has really been better than the other two where the business is up, so I’d say we came back pretty good,” she said.
Corey Avenue continues to draw people with events throughout the month, including its Sunday market, arts events and monthly sipping strolls. Those events give residents and visitors opportunities to support local businesses as the area continues recovering.
But the recovery story extends beyond Corey Avenue. Nearly two years after the 2024 hurricanes, beach communities across Pinellas County continue working to move forward, even as some of the scars remain.
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