Couple helping with Florence recovery loses home in CA wildfire

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — From helping disaster victims to becoming one. Tragedy strikes a couple who traveled to the Cape Fear from California to help with Hurricane Florence recovery.

They say what goes around comes around, but that certainly is not the case for one couple who traveled across the country to help others only to find out their house was destroyed by wildfires.

Michael Stephenson works for Moffitt Services and has been helping with storm recovery in the area since before the storm even hit.

Weeks ago, his wife Alicia traveled from California to the Cape Fear to visit her husband. She never imagined that she wouldn’t be able to return to her home.

“There was no threat of a fire, there was no talk of a fire, everything was fine when I left,” Alicia said.

Even when the fire started to spread, she had hope that her neighborhood would be okay.
Alicia says not only did the fire destroy her home, but every house on the street.

“I went online and found a news coverage where they were literally doing the story in front of my chimney with the washing machine there and my burned out car and I knew immediately, that was my home,” said Alicia.

Stephenson says she rented the house and did not have renters insurance and only liability insurance on her car.

“To see in photos and video all of your stuff just ashes, it’s just, I’ve never had anything like that happen to me before,” Alicia said. “It’s just an empty feeling.”

Alicia’s husband Michael has been assisting with hurricane recovery at UNCW, Blockade Runner, and more.

The extent of the devastation back in California didn’t hit home for him at first.

“Our car, that was a special gift from my dad when he passed, I got to see that car completely burned up, sitting in the garage, what was left of the garage which was just rubble,” said Michael Stephenson.

Once the evacuation order is lifted, Alicia plans to return to see the damage firsthand, including where she works.

“We don’t know if my office has sustained damage or the building is still standing. I may not even have a job,” she said.

Michael says the speed of the recovery here in the Cape Fear gives him hope for the people who have lost everything by the wildfires.

“I’ve seen it just completely change back to normal in such a short period of time. It’s truly amazing,” said Michael.

Despite losing everything, the couple says they are just happy that they and their neighbors are safe.

Click here for a GoFundMe page for Michael and Alicia Stephenson.