Lumberton became a symbol of devastation after Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc over the North Carolina city in 2016. Twenty-five people tragically lost their lives, and the hurricane also damaged 98,000 homes statewide. As one of the most economically challenged regions, the majority of the residents didn’t have the resources to rebuild their homes. Little did they know that they would face the same devastation once again two years later. The collective damage left the residents in much need of both psychological therapy and assistance to once again renovate their destroyed houses.

Devastating Forces Of Nature

Floods rank high up the list of the most devastating forces of nature that cause massive damages worldwide. Numerous cultures across the world consider floods as a symbolism of cleansing, much like the biblical flood that restored the earth to its pre-creation state. In reality, floods are responsible for claiming the lives of many, displacing thousands of people and leaving behind costly damages. In the United States alone, floods leave behind damage that sets the country’s financial account back by $6 billion annually. According to a 2017 National Geographic analysis, by the end of this century, over 670 communities in the U.S. would have gone through repeated flooding.

Hurricane Matthew Strikes

Hurricane Matthew defied forecasters’ predictions, which said that it would bring nothing more than just heavy rain and strong winds to Lumberton. However, the Category 1 storm changed course, settling inland and dumping about 20 inches of water on the community. The Lumber River that runs smack in the middle of the town swelled up and reached nine feet above the flood stage. The millions of gallons of water deluged the city’s streets, submerging mailboxes and seeping into both residential and commercial real estate properties. The south side of Lumberton was the hardest-hit area, and residents had no choice but to scale their rooftops waiting for rescue efforts to come along.

Locked In By The Rising Waters

Fortunately, by the time the hurricane struck, most of the twenty-one thousand residents of Lumberton had already fled to safety. However, another fifteen hundred people had, unfortunately, been locked in by the rising waters. Most had to wait about two days for rescue and some didn’t make it through. Seventy-six-year-old Charles Ivey had a terrible slip and fall accident that plunged him into the waters within his home. He sadly died while his family members tried tirelessly to extract him. City council member John Cantey remembers wading through the waist-high water to urge the residents of the south Lumberton precinct to evacuate.

A Generation Of Economic Decline

Cantey explained that they had lost about one-third of their precinct's population accounting for about 1,000 residents. South Lumberton is arguably the poorest part of the state, and it has endured a generation of economic decline. The cotton and textile manufacturing industries have shut down, which meant that the majority of residents didn’t have the resources to rebuild. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided a grant to the state to be allocated towards rebuilding projects. Lumberton’s mayor, Bruce Davis, revealed that two years have gone by and the money still has not been disbursed despite endless promises.

The Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew

Like most floods in history, Matthew caught the city off guard. There were minimal preventive measures that had been put in place to minimize the damage it caused. District state attorney Danny Britt Jr. took it upon himself to rescue stranded residents with the help of his trusty duck-hunting boat. Divya McArthur and her family were amongst the Lumberton residents who suffered significant property damages after Matthew hit. They lost appliances and their house sustained extensive damage to the roof, floors, and walls. Worse still, they didn’t have flood insurance to help them rebuild after the hurricane.

Another Hurricane Hits Lumberton 22 Months Later

Lumberton had barely picked itself up from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew when, just twenty-two months later, they faced another calamity. Hurricane Florence was fast approaching and, unfortunately, they had not put effective measures in place to lessen the potential damage. They had explored the construction of metal floodgates at the underpass of a railroad where water had poured through during Matthew into South Lumberton. Cantey explained that they had even approached the railroad company to allow them to temporarily block the hole once they found out that Florence was approaching. However, the company threatened to take them to court for trespassing if they attempted to sandbag the area.

Volunteers Lend A Hand To Fill Up Sandbags

Britt reached out to North Carolina governor Roy Cooper asking for a special order to help them set up the sandbags in the wake of Hurricane Florence. After some back and forth, he sent them another email attaching the obituary with a warning that any deaths that would take place would be on their consciences. The state government allowed them to fill up the hole at the railroad that posed a threat. Lumberton’s city attorney, Holt Moore, forwarded the email from the governor to the railroad company and they stood down. Scores of volunteers turned up to fill five thousand sandbags so that they could minimize the impact of Hurricane Florence.

Hurricane Florence Approaches

When Florence arrived on September 14, 2018, volunteers were still in the midst of filling up the sandbags to reinforce a church parking lot that had sustained terrible damage from the previous hurricane. Ronnie Locklear, a volunteer and local who owns a car detailing company, explained that it was muddy since it already started pouring, but they had to do what they could. Locklear said that their town had lost everything the first time around, and they had to try to prevent the same thing from happening all over again. By evening, the efforts of the volunteers and two local construction companies paid off as they successfully put up a berm that was tall enough.

Florence Crawls Over The Town

Florence crawled over Lumberton at a snail-pace, but forecasters warned that some areas could experience as much as twenty inches of rain. The river gauged at fifteen feet by the next day. By that evening, it almost reached the top of the dikes. Both Britt and Cantey issued formal evacuation orders as rainwater pooled in the low-lying neighborhoods. They also both helped to conduct boat rescues going late into the night, and Cantey used eight battery packs to make sure that his phone stayed charged. He managed to connect rescuers to about forty people who were stranded.

The Rain Temporarily Halts

On the third day, the rains momentarily stopped, but the river kept on rising. The sandbag levy had kept in place, but the river was quickly rising up to the twenty-five-foot mark that Hurricane Matthew had set. The police closed off the surrounding road as well as the interstate. They also had to cordon off commercial real estate that had already started suffering from the impact of the rain as it has posted even more risks, given the circumstances. The Lumberton Recreation Center had been transformed into a temporary shelter by the Red Cross, and they had already welcomed thirty people by then.

River Lumber Gives Way

By the time it had stopped raining, the watershed had rushed into River Lumber. The levee that had been set up eventually gave way, causing the swelled river to pour out into south and west Lumberton. It was a repeat of what had happened two years before. But this time around, the river crested even higher than before by a full foot. Cantey and Britt were still hard at work. Cantey organized airboat rescue for fourteen people while Britt delivered additional sleeping cots to the shelters that had started overflowing.  At that point, health and safety were of utmost importance as rescue efforts continued.

Flooded To The First Story

The fourth day marked even more destruction with more water gushing through the levee. A portion of the sandbags had been washed away, and floodgates were opened. The church where volunteers had filled up the sandbags had been flooded with waters reaching the first story. The McArthurs were amongst the residents who heeded to the evacuation warnings and left. Divya McArthur explained that they managed to prepare ahead of time. They tried to stay optimistic as they gathered what they could before leaving for higher grounds in a neighbor’s truck. They weren't really thinking about what they would need amid that flurry, and she ended up grabbing a pair of rain boots and workout clothes.

The Coast Guard Comes To The Rescue

Britt explained that the temporary berm had held up long enough, allowing as many people as possible to evacuate. However, there were still those who didn’t manage to get out on time and needed emergency rescue services to get out of their flooded homes. Britt once again extended a helping hand by performing rescues around south Lumberton in his duck-hunting boat. The surrounding areas were hit hard as well, and the Coast Guard were on site to rescue people around the Mayfair neighborhood. The waters weren’t letting out anytime soon, which meant that the residents would have to dig deeper into their savings account to fix the damage.

Tough Times Create Tough People

The weather forecasts anticipated the flow of the Lumber River to drop just by a few feet over the next few days. Swollen tributaries continued draining into it, which didn’t help the situation. However, Britt asserted that whenever tragedy struck, Lumberton had always come out of it stronger. Beyond the structural damages, the residents also had to deal with serious psychological trauma. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke professor Dr. Shilpa Regan explained that going through two devastating hurricanes, like what the residents of Lumberton experienced, could cause a person to develop depression, anxiety, or even PTSD.

A Break From The Flood

The McArthurs had survived two hurricanes, which had also left them with almost irreparable damage. In the midst of it, they received an unexpected invite to attend a taping of the Tonight Show in New York. It offered an opportunity to escape the problems they had to face while mulling over the decision of whether to renovate or build a new home. Divya explained that she was both sad and angry at their predicament, but she didn’t want their circumstances to overcome them. For the sake of their son, Lucas, they wanted things to be normal. That’s why they jumped on the opportunity to go on a free trip as a form of family therapy.

Surprised By Jimmy Fallon

The McArthurs simply thought that being invited to the taping of the Tonight Show in November 2018 was the best gift to come their way given their situation. However, host Jimmy Fallon had something up his sleeve with having the couple as part of his audience. During the taping, Fallon called out to the couple by name and proceeded to walk to them. They were bewildered because they weren't quite sure about what was going on. Fallon knew that they were from Lumberton and that their home had been hit twice by hurricanes. He also knew that without any flood insurance, they didn’t have access to funds for some much-needed home remodeling.

Fallon Teams Up With Home Depot & Operation Blessing

Fallon finally announced that he had teamed up with Operation Blessing and the Home Depot Foundation to help the couple perform the repair work their house required. Anthony Lloyd, the senior director of the faith-based charity organization Operation Blessing, explained how they singled out the McArthurs. While the Operation Blessing volunteers were helping the Lumberton residents affected by Hurricane Florence to restore their houses to their former glory, they felt like the McArthurs could do with some special assistance. They nominated the family for their Extreme Home Blessing, which was awarded in collaboration with the Home Depot Foundation.

Lost For Words

Divya, who owns and runs the local hair salon called Shampoo Bowl, was lost for words for the first time. She explained that she is usually a chatty Cathy. But when she heard Fallon’s announcement, she was left in shock. Divya said that she had seen such things happen on TV, but never had she imagined that it would happen to her and her family. She knew that their lives would never be the same again after that kind of gesture. Divya and her husband, Terrence, who works as a corrections officer, have been married for 15 years. Everyone describes the McArthurs as great people overall, and that’s why they were given the special opportunity.

A Sentimental Home

The McArthurs' home held sentimental value. This is where Divya spent her childhood, and she got it as part of her inheritance from her grandmother. That is why even after Matthew hit, they didn't move and just dug into their savings to fix what they could. However, even after the fix-ups on the house following Matthew, they never felt like their house was quite the same. Divya’s grandmother had built the house back in the 1970s. After the two hurricanes, it passed the point of just requiring some simple flood restoration.

Choosing Not To Give Up On The Memories

Everyone wondered why the McArthurs would go back to a house that had been hit twice by hurricanes. Divya explained that it wasn’t a deluxe house, but the memories she had from growing up in the house were what made her emotionally tied to it. When they went to pick up their personal things after Florence hit in September 2018, she nearly gave up on saving the house. However, her husband explained that they worked hard for the things they had, and they turned to their faith for the strength to fix it all over again.

Lost Their Prized Belongings

Aside from incurring damages to their home, the McArthurs also lost their appliances and furniture to the flood. That meant that they had the added task of re-furnishing their house after the costly fix-ups that it would take to recover their home. The damage was extensive this time, and the house needed some new insulation, roofing, and floors. Sadly, they didn’t have flood insurance to provide the financial assistance, but even some residents who had the cushioning didn’t qualify for the help the second time around. That is why, for the McArthurs, the unexpected help from Fallon, Home Depot, and Operation Blessing was truly a blessing.

Irreplaceable Valuables Washed Away

Losing the appliances wasn’t the biggest blow the McArthurs faced because they could replace those eventually. Divya explained that she couldn’t think about the flood without remembering the wedding album and gown she lost to it. She explained that Matthew had caught them unaware, but they were a little more prepared for Florence. However, it didn’t help that much. Terry said that it played out like a movie. Barely half an hour after they left for food and gas, the flooding had begun. He returned to the house five days after Florence in a boat and found everything floating inside their home.

The Items That Weathered The Storm

The family had to resort to storing some of the items they had salvaged at Divya’s salon located in downtown Lumberton. Since Matthew, they had not gotten around to the heating repair and had to make do with Amish heaters. The flood had damaged their furnace after Matthew brought in two feet of water into their house. However, there were things that weathered both hurricanes, like the canopy bed that had belonged to her grandmother. It had a role in dissuading her from relocating like most people had suggested because she felt an obligation to the house.

The Home Depot Repairs

The initial plan was to have the McArthurs' home repaired, and The Home Depot Foundation in collaboration with Operation Blessing would do it all for free. They teamed up to replace the roof, fit in a new furnace, and repaint the house. They also promised to provide a new set of appliances as well as do a backyard makeover to uplift the MacArthur's house. The Home Depot Foundation’s Executive Director, Sharon Gerber, explained that they didn’t only want to fix the house for the McArthurs, but they also wanted to make it a home.

A New Address

After some convincing from Operation Blessing and Home Depot Foundation, the McArthurs relocated to higher grounds to an East 11 Street home. Beyond buying a home for the family, they went further and renovated it. A team from Fort Bragg extended a helping hand with the landscaping. They also had friends from the East Lumberton Baptist Church assist with a bulk of the work. Once again, Divya was lost for words because they were only expecting help with fix-ups, but they now had a new address. The charitable organizations even had more in store for the family.

The Grand Reveal

About 50 friends turned up to witness the grand reveal as Operation Blessing and the Home Depot Foundation handed the house over to the McArthurs. Divya couldn’t hold back her tears looking at their new three-bedroom house located in the quaint Lumberton neighborhood. Divya mustered the words to thank everyone who lent a hand in helping them bounce back after the two hurricanes. Divya explained that it provided her some therapy on the goodness of humanity to see so many people that she had never met rally together to help her family.

A Brand New Start

The house came with new appliances and furnishings, offering the McArthurs a brand new start. Operation Blessings’ Beth Perrenoud and her daughter, Hailie, were part of the team who worked to get the house ready for the McArthurs. Perrenoud explained that they power-washed the driveway, painted the mailbox, and set up the furniture. A neighbor even volunteered to trim the edges and the grass. Pastor Mike Bowen of the Lumberton Baptist Church hosted the organization, which is affiliated with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), for several weeks on the church grounds. The organization managed to help an estimated 120K people following Florence by providing 40K meals in the span of 40 days.

Custom-Made For The McArthurs

The team wasn’t even close to finished with the surprises because they decided to make the home feel like it was custom-made for the McArthurs. They even spelled out the 12-year-old Lucas’ name in his room. The house had previously belonged to Pastor Mike Bowen who had moved out a few weeks prior. All the appliances and fixtures came from Home Depot, and the 127th Engineering Battalion, Echo Company, installed mulch and plants. Manual Precie, a 1st Class sergeant, explained that they all held truck-driving jobs, and when they heard the McArthurs needed some help, they decided to do whatever they could.

 Divya’s Grandmother’s Portrait

The team knew how much the former residence meant to the McArthurs, so they decided to bring in some of it to their new home. They hung up a portrait of Divya’s grandmother over an end table at the living room, which blended in well with the home decor. Mayor Bruce Davis turned up to officially present the home to the McArthurs. He said that it was a great thing offered to a good family, and it would also serve as a miracle for Lumberton. If anything, the McArthurs had everything they needed to pick up and approach the future optimistically.

Building New Memories

Divya explained that her grandmother’s portrait was the first thing she saw once they entered the new house. When asked what her grandmother would have thought about the ordeal they had to go through, Divya said that she would have been proud. She added that her grandmother had offered her counseling while growing up to accept adversity as part of life because she had watched her grandmother go through the most challenging times and come out of them even stronger. She finished that she knew that her grandmother was smiling down on them happily at their perseverance. The McArthurs expressed their gratitude explaining that they were beyond thankful.