Crockerinho

Wrestling Moderator

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WWE.com has posted an update about Heidenreich's family, who live in areas that were struck by Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet been able to reach his father, nor has he had contact with his wife and two children. "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 is currently staying at a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. And he told WWE.com that he thinks he'll end up moving out of New Orleans when all is said and done. "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," he said.

Check out the WWE.com story here.

Mr. Kennedy

My thoughts and prayers go out to Heidenreich and hope that is family is alive and well.
I don't blame him for wanting to move his family out of New Orleans. He's right about it never being the same, it's gonna costs billions and billions of dollars and possibly decades to repair everything and restore the city.

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The Phantom

Whatever I may think of him as a wrestler, I wouldn't wish this on anybody. Hopfully he can find his family members safe and well.

Bouchie

Google Earth has some very detailed and very nasty images of post-Katrina down there.

The Phantom

An Update from WWE.com

New Orleans native John Heidenreich finally spoke to his wife and kids over the weekend. They're now staying with his mother in Picayune, Mississippi, after the house they were staying at in Slidell, Louisiana, was ruined by Katrina.

His father Ronald is recovering in Harahan, Louisiana. Both of his father’s homes withstood the hurricane, although he is without power and low on essentials like food and water. Heidenreich has yet to talk to his dad, but other friends have relayed promising updates about his health and the condition of his house.

Blitzkrieg

WC Hall Of Famer

That's good to hear. I'm glad everything is ok.

Mr. Kennedy

I'm happy to hear that Heidenreich's family is alive and well, it must have been difficult for him to do the SD live events while not knowing if his family was alive or not.

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Dr. Giganto

Glad to hear everything is ok...I just wish more families in the area could say the same...

Mr. Kennedy

Another update from WWE.com

John Heidenreich is still about 60 miles north of where Hurricane Katrina inflicted the most damage and suffering, but he’s still having trouble coming to grips with what he’s seen thus far on his trip back home.

Heidenreich landed in Mobile, Alabama, Wednesday morning and made the short drive into Picayune, Mississippi, where he is staying with his mother.

“It seems like every tree, every telephone pole and every power line is down,� Heidenreich told WWE.com. “It’s amazing more people weren’t killed in this area just by the trees coming down. Some of these huge trees just missed landing on houses. It’s like somebody was looking out for these people.�

Heidenreich pushed back his trip into New Orleans to see his home and father. He wanted to get an early start Thursday morning. Heidenreich’s home in Meterie, Louisiana, is about an hour south of his mother’s place in Mississippi.

“What I’ve seen so far is hard to believe, it’s almost like it’s out of a movie,� Heidenreich said. “And I haven’t even seen the worst of it yet. We went by a row of mobile homes, and it was like they were aluminum cans that someone just crushed with their feet.�
Heidenreich also noted that all of the huge steel billboards advertising the local casinos on the major roads leading to and from the airport were “blown down like dominoes.�

Heidenreich even shared a personal story about his wife’s sister, who lived in East New Orleans with her husband.

“They lived on the second-floor of an apartment building and decided to wait out the storm,� Heidenreich said. “The building next to them was knocked down and the flooding filled all of the first floor and half of their apartment. They ended up on the roof and a helicopter saved them. Right now they’re in the Astrodome (which is sheltering many Katrina victims).�

Heidenreich is hoping to talk to WWE.com again Thursday afternoon after he makes his way into New Orleans. Check back to get more updates on his emotional journey back home.

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ICEMAN

I'm glad everyone in Heidenreich's family is OK. I hope WWE gives him some time off to spend with his family now that he's down there. Hopefully other families will also be able to reunite the way Heidenreich's has.

This is just a sad, sad story and I can't even begin to comprehend what it must be like trying to survive down there right now.