Jimmy Fallon Surprised Family Hit by Two Hurricanes with New Home

Last November, Jimmy Fallon surprised a North Carolina couple telling them they would be getting a new home from the Home Depot Foundation after theirs was flooded twice following hurricanes Matth. Now, the McArthur have received what was promised, and they couldn’t be happier.

When Divya and Terry McArthur, of Lumberton, attended a taping of “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” they never expected to be put on the spotlight by the TV host, and their shocked expressions when he called them proves that.

Shocked, the couple heard the best news they had received in months: the Home Depot Foundation, in collaboration with Operation Blessing, would give them assistance to fix their home, which suffered several damages after being hit by two hurricanes in less than two years.

"You kind of hunker down before a storm, but never did we think that there would be water back in our house. Not 22 months after another storm."

The house held a special place in Divya’s heart because her grandmother left it for her, but she had no flood insurance, and the hurricanes left damages on the floor, roof and walls; not to mention the loss of appliances and furniture.

“They're going to come in. They're going to fix your home. They're going to fix your roof. They're going to repaint and insulate your house. They're going to provide a new furnace, appliances, redo your yard, and send in a Home Depot designer to re-furnish your home," Fallon said live on his NBC hit show.

“I can’t think about the flood and not think about things that I had, like my wedding gown, our wedding album,” Divya told People after the taping. And continued:

“It was devastating. Matthew caught us by surprise with the flooding. We were told that this wouldn’t happen again for 500 years. We did some preventative measures. You kind of hunker down before a storm, but never did we think that there would be water back in our house. Not 22 months after another storm.”

Although the original plan was to renovate the family’s home, when contractors went in for evaluation, they told Dyvia she had two options: tear down the place and rebuilt above flood level, or purchase a new home.

“We just kind of decided it did not make sense to put that kind of money into a home that could potentially flood again,” Divya said. “To be honest, it was kind of bittersweet because I have ties to this house. It’s my grandmother’s, and it’s just part of a legacy. However, wisdom says you need to do what’s best for you and your family.”

Home Depot and Operation Blessing not only bought the McArthur’s new home, but they also renovated it and furnished it, adding little touches to make the family feel at home, like a sign with their 12-year-old son’s name, or a framed picture of Dyvia’s grandmother.

“I didn’t see it coming to fruition because miracles like that just do not happen,” Dyvia admits of the random act of kindness. “You see it on television, but I just did not expect to be blessed in this way.”