“I Didn’t Know if My Mom Was Dead or Alive”: 13 Years After Hurricane Katrina Took Over 1000 Lives, Regis Prograis Opens Up About How He and His Family Survived in New Orleans

The highly awaited clash between Devin Haney and Regis Prograis is nearing confirmation, with sources indicating that the bout is set for December 9 at San Francisco’s Chase Center, according to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. In this matchup, Prograis is defending his WBC light welterweight title against Haney, who holds an undefeated record as the undisputed lightweight champion.

In a recent interview, Prograis has revisited some of his painful memories. As a resident of New Orleans at the time, Prograis was devastatingly affected by the catastrophe. In New Orleans, situated below sea level, federal authorities initially believed the city had escaped Hurricane Katrina’s worst. However, the hurricane inflicted over $160 billion in damages, leading to a 29% population decline by 2011. How did Prograis deal with this?

Regis Prograis details his devastating experience during Hurricane Katrina

The mayor had ordered a mandatory evacuation, prompting around 1.2 million people to flee. However, tens of thousands remained, seeking refuge in places like the New Orleans Convention Center and the Louisiana Superdome. The hurricane inflicted over $160 billion in damages, leading to a 29% population decline by 2011. Despite subsequent returns, New Orleans, with a 2020 population of around 400,000, still lagged 20% behind its 2000 figure.

Through Prograis’ lens, it was an indescribable hardship only those who’ve lived through it can fathom. It was as if trying to convey the loss of an entire existence, where everyone and everything dissolved into an unrecognizable pile of ruins. For what felt like an eternity, perhaps a month, the fighter grappled with the unknown fate of his parents. “I didn’t know if my mom was dead or alive. My daddy, I didn’t know where he was at. Nobody knew where no was at like my friends and stuff like that.”

The friends he once knew were nowhere to be found. He left with his grandma, grandpa, cousins, and younger sister in a van bound for Texas. That was his new reality, just this makeshift family. Six weeks passed until he finally connected with his mom, who had weathered the storm working at the French Squad. “So we end up, we split up for a little, me and my mom and sister and grandma, we split up for a little while and then eventually we found each other again” said Prograis. Navigating the aftermath of a horrific event that, even two decades later, people tend to forget the profound impact it had on the ones affected.

Devin Haney vacates four titles for his next bout with Prograis

In anticipation of his highly anticipated super lightweight debut against Regis Prograis, Devin Haney has decided to relinquish all his lightweight championship belts. Despite holding a significant edge as a betting favorite, Haney disclosed to ESPN his unequivocal decision to part ways with the lightweight division, citing that he was “done” with it and prepared to move forward.

The move signifies his clear intent to not return to the lightweight division, prompting him to vacate all his championship belts as he sets his sights on the super lightweight title currently held by Prograis.

Read More: Regis Prograis Explains How “Short Tiny Stocky A**” Mike Tyson Knocking Out “Giants” Inspired Him to Box

Fans are now holding onto the edges of their seats to witness the two titans lock horns this December. The fighters are not holding back from throwing shots at each other. Who are you siding with in the upcoming bout?

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