Fire Damages Katrina Victims' Home

MARIETTA, Ga. - A Cobb County woman who fled to Georgia after surviving Hurricane Katrina will have to start all over again after her townhouse caught fire on Tuesday morning.

Michelle Parker and her daughter, Diamond Hudson, lived in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina left them devastated, leaving them with nothing. Parker told FOX 5 she lived on her roof for five days during the storm, and was separated from her daughter for 18 months afterwards.

Now, the family has suffered another setback. On Tuesday morning around 8 a.m., fire burned Parker’s townhome on Booth Court in Cobb County, leaving it badly damaged.

Parker had just left for work when the fire sparked. Hudson was asleep in her room when the fire started, and she was awakened by the smoke. She was able to escape. No one was injured.

Hudson told FOX 5 she could barely make it to the door to escape to a neighbor’s home due to the smoke and flames. By the time firefighters arrived, they say it was fully engulfed in flames.

Parker says she’s grateful that her daughter is safe, but for her, the fire is just another leap backwards.

The Red Cross has stepped in to help and offer the family food and shelter. Neighbors are also offering their assistance.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Firefighters say it may have started in the kitchen.