Home for the holidays: Hurricane Matthew victims return home after more than a year

"I'm just glad that everything worked out for me," Elwood said. "For those who do get the chance to come back home, I hope they are as excited as I am right now."

Elwood, who is confined to a wheelchair, and her three adult children with special needs, were trapped in their home by Hurricane Matthew. They spent the night in chest-high flood water before being rescued by members of the Cotton Volunteer Fire Department.

She was able to thank them Wednesday and take a tour of her newly refurbished home.

Elwood’s family spent the past year living in one room of her cousin's home. While she is thankful she had a place to stay, she says during the holidays, there's no place like home.

"Keep your faith and your belief in things," Elwood said. "But at Christmastime, you really want to be with your family."

It's also a happy homecoming for her neighbor. Lash'e Hackett got the key to her refurbished home, too. She, her husband and daughter have spent the past 14 months living in a motel.

"So we just came in and made due and blew up some air mattresses, and we’re home, we’re home," Hackett said.

While it's been a hard road, many victims said they feel blessed by their community.

"We're home for Christmas," Nasheed Tajudin said. "That's a good thing. Thank God for that."