Prayers answered: Raeford woman overjoyed to see revamped home six years after Hurricane Matthew

Fast forward to an uplifting development on Friday that's been years in the making. McLean received the keys to her new home, thanks to a grant from ReBuild NC.

At first look, the home is absolutely gorgeous with stainless steel appliances, a microwave oven and granite counter tops. It replaces one that was destroyed six years ago by Hurricane Matthew.

The day started with a prayer. McLean says her new home is a blessing.

This is her home that was damaged by Hurricane Matthew.

"The kitchen had a hole in it," McLean said. "The flooring in the kitchen was weakened very bad, as well as the bathroom floor was damaged with the water damage."

After the hurricane in 2016, FEMA told her the house wasn't fit to live in. The federal agency ran out of money to make repairs, so McLean stayed in the damaged home. Last year, she applied for help with the ReBuild NC program and got accepted. She moved into an extended stay motel while her old house was torn down and this new one was built.

"Nobody wants to be a hurricane victim," said Eric Pender with Shepherd Response. "But when it happens, like Mr. Leach said, we all band together and we rally around that person and get that house built ... get them back on their feet."

The refrigerator sits empty in the new home, but there's plenty of room in there for a turkey and all the fixings just in time for Thanksgiving.

McLean says someone else is going to be doing the cooking.