‘People here still need help’: Businessman to talk about Midlands floods on ‘GMA’

Nearly a month ago, Michael Marsha stood in torrential rain in the middle of the night fretting about whether his 25-year-old Forest Lake Fabrics business along Gills Creek would flood.

At 2 a.m. Oct. 4, he drove to the Forest Drive store to investigate; at that time, the water was contained in the creek. He returned to his Lake Katherine home, fairly confident the store would be OK.

That wasn’t the case.

Wednesday, on location with “Good Morning America” in Tennessee, Marsha and his family will retell the story of the events of the early morning of Oct. 4 – and of the overwhelming support they have received since from friends, neighbors and strangers alike.

And that he is planning to rebuild in his same location.

Sometime before 5 a.m. Oct. 4, a torrent of water hit the back of Marsha’s two-story, 14,000-square-foot Forest Acres building, tearing a hole the size of a three-car garage in it. Debris that floodwaters from upstream had been carrying – kayaks, railroad ties, parts of docks, trees, shrubs and more – crashed into fabrics and upholstery and burst through the building’s glass-front windows.

Hundreds of bolts of fabrics ended up in the street, across Forest Drive’s four lanes. Many came to rest in the trees behind Trenholm Plaza in Forest Acres.

Not only was Marsha’s business taken but the family’s home was partially flooded, too, as were family members’ homes.

“It’s a terrible thing that happened,” he said. “But I haven’t shed a tear.”

He attributes a positive and hopeful attitude to the countless people who have pitched in from churches and organizations, among them F3 (Fitness Faith Fellowship), which showed up with two Bobcats to remove soaked contents.

Marsha estimates a $1.5 million inventory and fixtures loss. Yet, the “movement” of volunteers saved him $100,000 in cleanup costs.

“I have never seen anything like it,” he said. “The devil did his deed, but God’s loving people are helping me and others out of this mess.”

Dramatic Forest Lake Fabrics photos, including some posted on Senator Tim Scott’s Facebook page, garnered much attention, including that of the “Good Morning America” producers from ABC.

Marsha said he plans to tell his story and tout the heroic and selfless efforts of many in Columbia.

“I’m going to use that time as a platform to let viewers know that people here still need help.”

This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 7:52 PM with the headline "‘People here still need help’: Businessman to talk about Midlands floods on ‘GMA’."