Katrina affects Heidenreich

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

John Heidenreich pleaded with his father. 

 

With Hurricane Katrina bearing down on the entire Gulf Coast, Ronald Heidenreich’s home in Harahan, Louisiana, was sitting right in the path of the impending storm that eventually devastated parts of three states on Monday.

 

Harahan, which is 10 miles north of New Orleans, was rocked by Katrina, which left most of the historic city and its surrounding suburbs destroyed, flooded and under as much as 20 feet of contaminated water.

 

New Orleans, a city of nearly half a million people with a metro area of 1.3 million, was under a mandatory evacuation order over the weekend. However, many residents, including Ronald Heidenreich, defied that order and remained home.

 

“I wanted him to take my (Ford) Expedition and get out of there,” an emotional Heidenreich told WWE.com Tuesday afternoon. “But he has a lot of pets and two homes down there. He’s been through Hurricane Betsy (1965) and Camille (1969). He’s a trooper. But I wanted him to leave.”

Instead, Ronald decided to weather the vicious storm. Two days later, John Heidenreich is still trying to contact his father.

 

“I just wish I could talk to my dad,” said Heidenreich, a New Orleans native who lives in nearby Meterie, Louisiana. “I can’t get in touch with anybody. I just wish I knew if he was alright. I even tried to call the police station in his hometown, but no phone numbers in the area are working.”

 

Heidenreich, who is one half the WWE Tag Team Champions, was in Jacksonville, Florida, Tuesday. With nobody able to enter or exit New Orleans for at least the next two weeks, if not much longer, Heidenreich plans to stay with friends in Louisville, Kentucky, while the city dries out.

 

Still, Heidenreich has no idea if the two-bedroom duplex he rents in Meterie is still standing. He left his cat Caramella, both his cars and nearly everything he owns back home. His only contact with his hometown comes via the disturbing footage shown on television and over the internet.

 

“I’ve been watching the footage,” Heidenreich said. “A helicopter was flying over an area near where I live. I saw a mall I shop at was flooded and the front of the building was ripped open with merchandise all over the place. I had no idea it would be this bad.”

 

Heidenreich’s mother lives in Picuyane, Mississippi, which is also part of the Gulf Coast region that got hammered by Katrina. Fortunately, Heidenreich has been able to reach her on her cell phone since the storm touched down.

 

“I spoke to my mom twice on her cell phone,” Heidenreich said. “Her power is out, and she had about 12 trees fall in her yard and one busted a window. Down trees are blocking her entire street and she can’t leave her house.”

 

While his hometown begins to pick up the pieces, Heidenreich is doing his best to focus on wrestling. SmackDown! live events are scheduled for Macon and Albany, Georgia over the next few days and SmackDown! will be in Atlanta next week. In the meantime, Heidenreich doesn’t even recognize the city he grew up in.

 

“I was born there, I played high school football there, I played for the Saints, New Orleans is a big part of my life,” Heidenreich said. “I have all these phone numbers of friends and I can’t get through to them because the towers are damaged. It’s weird to know so many people and not be able to get in touch with any of them. Hopefully, the footage they’ve been showing on television is the worst of it.

 

“My heart goes out to everyone out there,” Heidenreich added. “You just can’t believe it’s happening. It doesn’t look real.

 

Given its location, New Orleans has always been a city under the constant threat of dangerous tropical storms or hurricanes. Up until Monday, many of the most recent storm threats never fully materialized.

 

“It’s like the boy that cried wolf so many times,” Heidenreich said. “You always hear the big one is coming and it always weakens or goes somewhere else. But this was our time. You don’t realize how much damage Mother Nature can do. It almost feels like the end of the world.”

 

Even so, Heidenreich would feel that much better if he could just reach his father.

 

That really sucks for them. I hope for the best for Heidenreich, his father, and the victims of this storm.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I was wondering if Lash Laroux was still down there somewhere.

[Fartsauce 0]

And what about Percy Pringle? He posted in his blog on the 29th and hasn't responded since. As for Bob Holly, I could care less.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

Shit, we've been getting a lot of coverage on this over here and it doesn't look good.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I'd not only be worried sick and praying that my father was alive. I'd be very upset that he was so stubborn not to leave when he had the oppurtunity too.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

His words of warmth and caring cut through us all like his awesome punches.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

And I thought Brett Favre had it bad. At least his family was able to call him.

[Prime Time Andrew Doyle 0]

I was wondering if Lash Laroux was still down there somewhere.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Lash probably just weathered the storm by pouring some Evian water on the teenage boobay

[iliketurtles 0]

John Heidenreich still hasn’t talked to his father since his hometown in Louisiana was devastated by Hurricane Katrina Monday. Heidenreich is also furiously trying to re-connect with his wife and kids, who he last talked to on Saturday before the devastating storm hit.

 

Heidenreich, who is currently staying in a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, has managed to receive some second-hand reports that are encouraging. However, he plans to get some answers for himself very soon, regardless of how dangerous conditions have become in New Orleans.

 

“I’m going down there Wednesday come hell or high water,” Heidenreich said. “I believe the Baton Rouge airport is open. I’m flying to whatever airport will land me, taking whatever rental car will drive me and I’m going to buy a gun for protection. If there’s no law down there, I’m not going to have some moron running around shoot me. I have a father, wife and kids to track down.”

 

Heidenreich was able to track down his father’s wife, who was staying with family friends well outside of New Orleans while her husband decided to stay behind and brave one of the worst natural disasters in United States history.

 

“Apparently, it wasn’t too bad in terms of initial damage there,” Heidenreich told WWE.com Friday afternoon. “I also talked to an ex-girlfriend who told me my area in Meterie (Louisiana) wasn’t hit too bad. Still, now that the flooding has started, there’s no telling.”

Heidenreich last talked to his wife and two kids Saturday before Katrina hit. They safely left New Orleans for Hammond, Louisiana, to stay with friends. While he knows they got out of the city, he’s still not sure how extensive the damage was in Hammond.

 

Secondly, Heidenreich is very concerned with the outbreak of looting and violence in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

 

There have been many news reports of violence, fires and shootings, leaving Heidenreich worried about the safety of his family and even any valuables at his home that survived the storm, like his large-screen television. In fact, his ex-girlfriend told him that every Cadillac at a downtown dealership was stolen after the storm.

 

“It’s real depressing the last few days,” Heidenreich said. “There’s a lot of people down there I love and care about and I can’t get through to them.”

 

Once Heidenreich is hopefully reunited with his loved ones, he expects to leave the town where he was born and raised well behind.

 

“I’m probably going to move,” Heidenreich said. “The city will never be the same. There’s no telling how many lives were destroyed or ruined by this. The city was so unprepared for this. It isn’t even funny.”

 

Check back with WWE.com as we expect to post first-hand reports when Heidenreich arrives in Louisiana to track down his family.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Admist all this chaos and personal drama, Heidenreich DID find time to make room for WWE.com.

[Guest Brian]

You can bet The Ross Report will recognize that kind of commitment.

[RepoMan 0]

My toughts and prayers to his family and all the victims.

 

 

But call me a cynic if you like, but I get the feeling he will be feuding with Huricane sometime in the next year.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Watch out, childrens. This story is so awesome that Rudo and I are currently in the lab seeing if we can cook up an RCI Presents that would be worthy of such a tale.