St. Armands Circle buzzes as hurricane recovery continues

At St. Armands Circle on a recent Thursday afternoon, diners packed tables from Crab & Fin to Columbia to Lynches Pub to the Daiquiri Deck. Boutiques and beachy shops were abuzz with groups of shoppers. 

But every so often storefronts sat empty, with “now leasing” signs or covered windows — a reminder of the destruction Hurricanes Helene and Milton left behind.

Some 75% of stores on St. Armands Circle have reopened following the 2024 hurricanes, says Rachel Burns, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association, in an early April interview. The Circle is home to more than 100 merchants, and she says 84 were open by late March.