Forest Acres frame shop reopens after flood

Small business destroyed in flood waters reopens in time for the holiday rush

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — For one Forest Acres shop owner, the holiday season signals new beginnings.

“It was very important to us to get back open again before the holidays got going really good,” The Picture Place owner Sheree Smith says.

Three days after historic flooding hit the Midlands two months ago, Smith headed to her shop of 21 years, knowing what she would find would shock her. Nothing could prepare her for the extent of the damage.

“We literally lost everything,” she says.

Smith says the loss is estimated at $102,000. The heart of the loss was her 21-year customer base.

“That was the first thought I had- my customers’ things!

Dozens of pieces, from diplomas to baby portraits, in progress or awaiting pickup, were destroyed in the eight-foot-tall flood water.

Through it all, Smith says she’s had her community behind her. Smith reopened seven weeks later, a block down the street. This space has tall walls, covered by work from local artists.

“It’s kind of a new beginning all the way around.”

The Picture Place can be found in the Forest Park shopping center off Forest Drive in Forest Acres